- Black-and-silver Palm-powered smartphone with 320 x 320 color touchscreen,full QWERTY keyboard, and 1.3-megapixel camera
- Quad-band connectivity for global roaming and EDGE data network compatibility for AT&T Mobile Music streaming and downloads
- Comprehensive organizer functions, including contacts, to-do lists, calendar; text, e-mail, and instant messaging; Web browser; Bluetooth for wireless headsets; MicroSD memory expansion
- Up to 3 hours of talk time, up to 300 hours (12.5 days) of standby time; measures 4.2 x 2.1 x 0.7 inches (HxWxD)
- Includes: Handset, A/C Charger, USB cable, Battery, User Documentation, Getting Started CD
Amazon.com Product Description
Life starts after five o’clock. Not coincidentally, that’s also when the Palm Centro smartphone comes alive. Not only does the Palm Centro handle all your favorite voice functions, but it also offers text, IM, e-mail, and web access–all in a body that’s a lot smaller than you’d think. Add a 1.3-megapixel camera, 64 MB of internal memory, Bluetooth connectivity for headsets, MicroSD expansion, and a full QWERTY keyboard and you have a terrific smartphone for all your messaging and personal needs. You’ll be able to get to where you’re going fast with support for TeleNav GPS Navigator software (which requires an optional Bluetooth GPS receiver). And this quad-band GSM version of the Centro for AT&T also features walkie talkie-style Push to Talk (PTT) communication in addition to voice dialing and speakerphone capabilities. The integrated Palm OS 5.4.9 operating system also plays nicely with Windows XP and Vista as well as Mac OS X 10.2 and higher.
The Palm Centro’s full QWERTY keyboard makes it easy to type text messages, IMs, and e-mails. |
AT&T Service
This phone operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and can handle high-speed data connectivity via AT&T’s EDGE network (which stands for “Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution”), with availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. This third-generation, high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including video and music clips, full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.
The phone has a built-in web browser for MEdia Net downloads and mobile web browsing. AT&T’s MEdia Net service enables you to receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. The AT&T Mobile Music platform includes the ability to sideload music with Napster and eMusic with the built-in Pocket Tunes Deluxe application, listen to live radio with XM Radio Mobile, discover new songs with MusicID and more. You can also access XM Radio Mobile, which provides 25 of the best XM Radio channels, featuring commercial-free rock, hip-hop, country, jazz and more (additional monthly fee; free three-day trial included).
With a database of more than 3 million artists and titles, you can use MusicID to identify an unknown song. While holding the Centro up to a speaker, the MusicID application returns song information such as title, artist and cover art, if available. It also keeps track of previous IDs and allows users to share song information with friends via text messages (additional monthly fee; free three-day trial included).
It’s also MobiTV capable, which enables you to watch live television, premium and prime-time programming, video-on-demand clips and satellite and digital music services from the top broadcast and cable television networks and major music labels (additional monthly charges are applicable).
You can take advantage of the TeleNav GPS Navigator software, the full-featured premium navigation application that includes audible turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates and re-routing options, and 3D moving maps. It comes as a 30-day trial version, and it can be downloaded via the TeleNav web site or via virtual pre-load icon (VPL) after activation.
You can also instantly talk across the largest Push to Talk (PTT) network coverage area in America. Push to Talk works like a walkie-talkie to talk to an individual or a group of up to 29 users. With status icons that clearly indicate the availability of friends and family, Push to Talk customers will know who is free before they call. You can purchase unlimited Push to Talk minutes with with single or family plans, or use Push to Talk on a pay-per-use basis that’s charged by the minute.
Click to see even more details. |
Design
The Palm Centro boasts a sleek glacier white housing that measures a mere 4.2 by 2.1 by 0.7 inches (HxWxD) and weighs 4.2 ounces. It’s notably smaller than many competing smartphones, yet doesn’t sacrifice functionality at any point along the way. Users will also love the 320 x 320 touchscreen (up to 65,000 colors), which offers a crisp resolution for photos and videos. And thanks to the full QWERTY keyboard, you can say L8R to those tricky keys on your old cell phone.
Phone and Messaging Functions
The Palm Centro smartphones offers a ton of ways to stay in touch with friends, whether calling, firing off a quick text, instant messaging, or sending an e-mail. From a phone perspective, the Palm Centro lets you dial people right from your address book, set up three-way calls from the touch of a button, or use the speakerphone to talk hands-free. The keyboard, meanwhile, makes it a breeze to type complete messages whether you’re sending text, pictures, or even audio or video clips. Plus, the Centro keeps all your messages in a chat-style view, so it’s easy to keep track of the conversation.
Want to keep up with all the latest gossip when you’re away from the computer? Turn to the Centro’s instant messaging functions, which support all your buddy lists on AIM, MSN, and Yahoo. It also supports Good Mobile Messaging after an over-the-air (OTA) download of the software.. Similarly, the Centro lets you access your personal e-mail accounts, such as Gmail, AOL, and Yahoo. As a result, you can reply to invites and answer e-mails when you’re out and about.
Web Functions
Whether you’re keeping up with friends on Facebook or looking up directions to the new bistro across town, the Centro’s touchscreen and keyboard make it fun to navigate around the web. The Centro includes a fast built-in web browser that lets you check out photos on Flickr quickly via AT&T’s EDGE data network. The Centro is also compatible with Google Maps, making it simple to get directions or see which freeways are clear and which ones are parking lots. Google Maps shows you red, yellow, or green traffic routes in real time.
Organizer Functions
The Palm Centro includes a complete organizer for keeping track of all your daily, weekly, and monthly responsibilities. The contacts list gathers all your friends’ phone numbers, addresses, and more, while the calendar keeps you from missing upcoming meetings, events, and parties. You can even enter a friend’s birthday in the contacts list and will automatically show up in your calendar. As with the best organizers, the Centro also offers a to-do list that lets you check off items when they’re complete. As a result, it’s easy to keep track of what you did and still need to do. And should you come across a tidbit that doesn’t have a logical home, simply turn to the memo function, which lets you store random information such as hot spots in Vegas or the names of movies you’d like to rent. Say goodbye to carrying around crumpled scraps of paper in your pocket or purse. Finally, it’s possible to save a copy of all those names, numbers, appointments, photos, and videos on your computer thanks to the sync function.
Multimedia
Whether you want to take pictures, play videos, or listen to music, the Palm Centro has got you covered. The 1.3-megapixel digital camera (with a 2x digital zoom) lets you shoot pictures and send them to friends, store digital albums, or shoot videos. The built-in MP3 player, meanwhile, lets you take your tunes everywhere you go. With 64 MB of storage, there’s plenty of room for your playlists, plus you can add up to 4 GB more with a microSD card. And thanks to Pocket Tunes Deluxe, you can play the songs you downloaded from online music stores.
Vital Statistics
The Palm Centro weighs 4.2 ounces and measures 4.2 x 2.1 x 0.7 inches. Its 1150 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3 hours of talk time, and up to 240 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.
This phone is well suited for a high school girl. Anyone expecting something comparable to HTC tilt or any 3G internet speed (not included on the unlocked GSM phone that palm sells) needs to look elsewhere. I made the mistake of buying this, the shortcomings are more then the strengths restrictive and expensive stereo blue tooth support (be prepared to spend a minimum of $70-$100 for that functionality $20 software from softick (audio gateway) and stero blue tooth headset. Palm support claimed it would only support the $80 (Samsung sbh700), I found it supports any stereo blue tooth headset, so If you want something more flexible and unassuming look into the (Plantronics Voyager 855 Bluetooth Headset with AudioIQ) they have an in-ear gel cap and convert to a one ear hands free by simply removing the second earpiece.
The the device is sensitive, a good bump will crack the digitizer (perhaps I was spoiled by my old Nokia 6126 or Motorola mpx-200 both of which had taken unreasonable amounts of abuse with out any problems). My friends 800W has 3G and the internet just flies on his phone, I swapped sim cards with him, and my phone crawled. Not having any built in Wi-Fy support also puts this device a step behind the competition.
Rating: 1 / 5
We bought the phone for my wife and after 90 days – The ear piece on the phone has stopped working. We took it back to Sprint who would not fix it without an additional $55 fee (because we didn’t buy the insurance – but a better question is should you insure something that should work without defect when you buy it?) So after being told to pay or they wouldn’t fix it, we contacted Palm who said they would repair it for free but we would have to send it in and be without a phone for 3 weeks. This isn’t an acceptable solution when you use your phone for business. Also if they couldn’t fix the problem they would replace the phone and charge us a replacement fee for a replacement phone which would not be new, but refurbed also. Buyer beware – I have had many other phones and never had the quality problems that I have had with 2 different Palm phones. I won’t buy another Palm phone. If you like the features, look for a higher quality product, maybe Samsung, Nokia, or ?? – but avoid Palm unless you want to pay extra for insurance when their manufacturing process can’t mass produce a quality product.
Rating: 2 / 5
I had been serching for months to find a phone that was reasonably priced and did a little bit of everything….Found it! This phone is essentially a PDA that makes calls! I LOVE IT and you should too!
Rating: 5 / 5
Cons: Cheaply constructed buttons. Long delays after button presses, etc. Can’t sync email, etc unless connected the ‘Sprint’ network
Pros: I liked the included ring tones/sound, battery life decent
I was excited to get a new Palm OS based phone at a great price. However, the phone’s cheaply constructed tin-foil buttons caught on on the corner of my pants pocket just after the 30 day exchange policy. It was all over after that, as the bent buttons just kept getting worse, then the center button fell out making it impossible to use. Palm offered to fix the phone at a gracious 50% off for $150. So it can break again? No thanks!
Some might get lucky and not see these problems until months after purchase – just be forewarned.
Rating: 1 / 5
I have used and liked the Palm PDAs over many years.
My work gave me a Palm Centro.
The device is nice – fits in short or trouser pocket easily.
The Palm OS is frustrating – freezes regularly for 2-3 seconds when
accessing commands or navigating the menus. This is by far the biggest
annoyance with this phone. I’ll tr to navigate to a manu or function
and the phone freezes for several seconds and then catches up.
Keyboard is small.
Web browsing is acceptable.
The device is ok as a phone but you really need a bluetooth to make it
usable.
Would certainly not be the device of my choice if I had to buy one.
Rating: 3 / 5