Comments on: Palm Centro Review

The Palm Centro made its debut in Fall 2007 as the smallest and lightest Palm OS based smartphone to date. It is the third new model from Palm this year after the Treo 755p and Treo 500v. Palm basically took all that's good about the 755p, and packed it into a much leaner and lighter body. The Centro brings a number of high end smartphone features including 3G wireless data and a full qwerty keyboard into the $99 range.

Read on for the full Palm Centro review...

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Screen Protector

4s @ 10/18/2007 11:43:14 PM #

Great, thorough review as always.

I understand that there is, according to Palm, a "factory installed, permanent screen protector on the Centro to protect from dust and scratches."

Did you notice this? Does the screen seem any more protected than the screens on previous models?

Thanks again for the review.

<><

RE: Screen Protector

Ryan @ 10/18/2007 11:54:42 PM #

Thanks 4s, as far as I can tell there is no special screen protector applied on the exterior or over the display. It's seems like the same standard plastic screen as on other Treo's. I haven't had an issue with the Centro scratching so far but I haven't been abusing it too much.

btw, I never use a case on my 680 and carry it around in my pocket all the time and I've never had a problem with the screen sucking up dust or scratching.

RE: Screen Protector

ggeoffre @ 10/22/2007 1:00:28 PM #

Hopefully the use of after market screen protectors will not be limited based on this feature.

RE: Screen Protector

luckyangel @ 12/16/2007 12:05:02 AM #

I scratched my screen horribly the second I day I had my Centro. It was in my purse, and slipped out of the protective pocket and found its way into my keys. I'm pretty unhappy with the protective quality of the screen, obviously. Haven't looked into getting it replaced it, though.

That 'linear' keyboard

SeldomVisitor @ 10/19/2007 6:46:40 AM #

Doesn't look to me like there is any "make it smaller" reason to go straight line with the keys on the keyboard instead of curved - the side-by-side photo reinforces that belief:

-- http://www.palminfocenter.com/ss.asp?f=palm-centro-review-7-l.jpg

I wonder if PALM did it to save on patent fee costs?

Or perhaps curved-line with such small keys was not usable.

RE: That 'linear' keyboard

Ryan @ 10/19/2007 10:25:02 AM #

I realized that the Treo 600 also has a similar layout, just with more space between the keys.

http://www.palminfocenter.com/ss.asp?f=img_treo600_large.jpg

RE: That 'linear' keyboard

Ryan @ 10/19/2007 2:25:57 PM #

Here's another keyboard/device comparison shot that I didn't include in the review:

http://www.palminfocenter.com/ss.asp?f=palm-centro-review-9-l.jpg

evdo speeds?

nybble @ 10/19/2007 7:14:58 AM #

It'd be nice if you could give us real world EVDO speeds - run a few tests and let us know the signal strength and down/upload times. Would that be possible?

<http://comments.deasil.com/> that is my tech blog. There are many like it, but that one is mine.

Still no Vista support in the box?

DrewT3 @ 10/19/2007 9:34:32 AM #

Hey Palm, Vista has been out for almost a year.

RE: Still no Vista support in the box?

hkklife @ 10/19/2007 11:58:32 AM #

Come on, don't you know by now that Palm resists the march of progress whenever possible?!?

In an ideal Palm world, no screen resolution would ever exceed 320x320, XP would be Microsoft's perpetual OS, and memory card manufacturers wouldn't dare release a card larger than 4GB!

Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P

Will Treo 680 get similar software update?

asiayeah @ 10/19/2007 9:41:20 AM #

The new Versamail 4.0's background operation seems interesting. Does that mean you can download e-mails in the background, while running another application, such as Blazer?

I wish Palm will offer a free upgrade of Versamail for Treo 680 users.

--
With great power comes great responsiblity.

RE: Will Treo 680 get similar software update?

ggeoffre @ 10/22/2007 12:59:16 PM #

It is not so much the price of an upgrade, as including it in a ROM update. I would pay for a ROM upgrade if it updated all software to the current versions. Would like to avoid having two copies of the software (different versions) installed.

MicroSD or MiniSD?

zkam @ 10/19/2007 10:12:37 AM #

The review says microSD, the specs table says miniSD.

Which is it?

RE: MicroSD or MiniSD?

Ryan @ 10/19/2007 10:27:44 AM #

Sorry about that, it's microSD.

RE: MicroSD or MiniSD?

ggeoffre @ 10/22/2007 12:56:58 PM #

Are speed tests a thing of the past? Back when the 650 first came out, there were quite a few speed tests that helped rank which SD memory cards were the fastest. Does anyone have similar comparisons for MicroSD, or is this sort of thing no longer necessary given the fact that most memory cards perform very well now.

So Small. Great for the Playground...

MleB @ 10/19/2007 10:23:23 AM #

Even dinkier screen and keyboard than the Treo - is this miniaturization to the point of losing any real usability?

While other companies are finding ways to increase screen size and keyboards (both virtual and hardware) in a small - though not disappearing - footprint, Palm just gives us a variation of 5 year old design.

The Centro is mean to attract the younger user - and one guesses teen girls by the key size - what they've actually done is build their own Firefly by way of Fisher-Price.

****

And yeah, support for Vista is LONG overdue - and should have come out with the 680 is January. Meanwhile, Palm's penchant for making Desktop / HotSync less useful in each 'update' (goodbye VersaMail, Media, Expense and Note Pad) encourages users to upgrade from earlier devices exactly how?

RE: So Small. Great for the Playground...

JackG @ 11/22/2007 1:06:40 AM #

Okay, so how many times and and different places are you going to post your "Fisher-Price" comments? You've posted on Palm's forums the same stuff. It is apparent that you do not like Palm, so buy something else.

I replaced my Treo 700p with the Centro and couldn't be happier about it. This is a great phone, especially for the price. Much more stable and quicker than the 700p. Try it, you might like it.

RE: So Small. Great for the Playground...

despa @ 2/10/2008 9:38:29 AM #

Yes, the Centro is targeting a younger user. Yes, the Centro is a variant of a 5 year old design.

The Palm Centro was made for someone like me, a 20 year old male, who has never used a palm device before because he thought they were too big and ugly. Someone who has nimble fingers and great eyesight. Someone who appreciates pixel density and a touch screen. Someone who appreciates Palm's idea of putting their old but winning PDA ideas in a cell phone with a small price tag.

"Palm just gives us a variation of 5 year old design," you say. The truth is more like: "Palm just gives us a far cheaper and smaller and better looking variation of a 5 year old design." Just? Hardly. This phone is really nice.

Just as the other poster said: try it, you might like it.

RE: So Small. Great for the Playground...

oalmlover3/8 @ 3/27/2008 3:18:32 AM #

~I FEEL THAT IF YOU DONT LKE IT DONT BY IT......I GOT THIS PHONE BECAUSE MY SCREEN ON MY HTC MOGUL SCREENS KEPT CRACKING (2..BUT HEY IF YOU ARE WILLING TO GO OUT IN PAY 199.99 FOR THE BIGGER VERSION OF THE SAME THING BUT IM A 16YR OLD MALE IN HIGH SCHOOL IN THIS PHONE IS PERFECT FOR ME!!

Good job

Tuckermaclain @ 10/19/2007 10:57:48 AM #

I can't wait to get mine. Minor criticism: lose the KB, get 320x480.

RE: Good job

adamsmark @ 10/19/2007 1:40:00 PM #

Agreed. If all I want is a smartphone, there are better. I think most users want a larger screen in a smaller package, e.g. the iPhone. One would think Palm could produce two lines of Treos/Centros: w/ and w/o keyboards.

"I believe in the atomic bomb."

Blogging at http://agabus.com">Agabus.com.

Palm V > Vx > Clie Peg T615C > T3 > Clie TH55 > T3 > Treo 650 > Treo 700p & T3!

RE: Good job

SeldomVisitor @ 10/19/2007 2:19:15 PM #

I think it's a safe bet that PALM has a keyboard-less phone or two in the works.

RE: Good job

hkklife @ 10/19/2007 2:20:00 PM #

It doesn't matter one whit what us users want. Remember, the carriers are Palm's new customers/masters. We just pad Palm's bottom line by buying accessories etc.

And even if the carriers wanted Palm to produce an all-screen TX-style Treo, Palm would likely fire back with a flurry of smoke & mirrors studies/reasons why consumers overhwlmingly prefer small screens (getting smaller with each generation) and small keyboards (also getting smaller) and smaller, less compatible memory card formats.

Ideally, Palm could go with two variations on a similar non-slider design. One unit could be all screen (TX-sized) with just a TX-style d-pad and app buttons in addition to send/end buttons (like the new HTC Touch). Then the other could have a smaller 320x480 screen and cram a small 1-0 dial pad or maybe even a tiny Centro QWERTY keyboard exposed by a Zire 71/T|T style slider. I always thought the Zire 71 (camera lens + shutter button) was a better execution of the slider concept than the T|T anyway.

Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P

RE: Good job

hkklife @ 10/19/2007 2:33:01 PM #

SV;
What makes you say that? Some scintillating insider info or just a gut feeling?

"In the works" as in "a year or more away" won't be good enough, especially when the 2nd-gen iPhone/HTC Touch successor hit sometime next year.

Right now, all of the rumblings we've heard (800w etc) point to more variations on the rounded-but-still-the-same Centro/500v theme.

As usual, I hope I'm TERRRIBLY wrong and Q1 '08 sees an 800p with 320x480 and full GPS appearing in Verizon stores.

Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P

RE: Good job

SeldomVisitor @ 10/19/2007 3:40:23 PM #

I have zero inside info - just a "gut" feeling based off current trends industry-wide.

I also think they're developing (or considering) a flipphone.

I wanna see a PALM go Ker-Plack! again!

RE: Good job

TooMuch @ 10/19/2007 5:22:53 PM #

"I think most users want a larger screen in a smaller package, e.g. the iPhone."

Don't count on it. I had an iPhone for 4 days and that was enough. (BTW, I am a Mac enthusiast.) iPhone is not comfortable in hand...easy to drop. iPhone "multi-touch" is adequately named because you have to touch too many times to simple things like making a call, etc. Most of all, I am not interested in serious web surfing or watching videos on my smartphone. If I want to watch a video on an adequate screen, I will use my 42" TV. If I want to seriously surf, I will use my laptop. I want a have a small smartphone that I can use with one hand (sometimes without looking) and fits in my pocket (so I don't need a jacket or holster).

RE: Good job

tolucajo @ 10/22/2007 11:20:37 PM #

How can one say this is a good job? There's a great article in last week's businessweek at http://www.businessweek.com/technology/wildstrom.htm The author comments on the success on the Palm OS with it's interface and ease of use as a planner, phone and etc. The failure is the form factor where HTC and Apple have beaten them to the game. They could've upgraded the OS to be more stable, and faster with a thinner form factor. These modifications could have ensured the continued success, but it's probably to late. With Blackberry capturing all the corporate business and Iphone capture the consumer. Where does that leave Palm? I will use my 700P until it dies. I have a BB 8830 and the interface requires more steps and lacks third party software. If Apple gets on the Verizon network, then bye I will likely bury the 700P next to my BetaMax in the Garage! If the Iphone can be thin, then why can't the 755P be as thin, or almost as thin?

Virgin Mobile

MrStyle @ 10/19/2007 1:42:19 PM #

Put this thing on Virgin Mobile USA (uses Sprint network & partly owned by Sprint) and I'm all over it!

Windows Mobile

jhopkins81 @ 10/19/2007 3:18:56 PM #

Anyone know if there is a plan to release the Centro w/ windows mobile? I don't prefer this OS, but work does not support any Palm OS devices.

RE: Windows Mobile

oalmlover3/8 @ 3/27/2008 3:25:11 AM #

YES, IF YOU GO2 YOUTUBE THEY SHOW YOU HOW TO DOWNLOAD IT, THEY ALSON SHOW YOU HOW TO DOWNLOAD THE IPHONE THEME

Palm Trivia

gmayhak @ 10/19/2007 3:46:28 PM #

Neat review Ryan!

"An odd addition is a new lanyard loop"

If you take apart the case on the Tungsten T (m550, one of my favorite Palms :) there are little lanyard tabs on both sides of the bottom section that can be folded out. You can see the little slits that they protrude from if you look closely.
Still hoping for a new PDA, no use for a cell phone, never go anywhere :-/

Gary
talestuff.com

Tech Center Labs

Hmmm...Heads Up on reset excuse

SeldomVisitor @ 10/19/2007 5:45:14 PM #

== "...Sent one message and the phone reset itself. They said
== it was on the demo for 3 hours..."

-- http://discussion.treocentral.com/showpost.php?p=1362381&postcount=1

My reading of an excuse like that is:

== "The longer you use the device, the less reliable it gets"

meaning:

== "Our programmers don't know how to garbage collect nor confirm that
== a memory allocation actually has succeeded, so our devices become
== unstable over time"

Anywho, Heads Up.

Verizon

QDeath @ 10/20/2007 11:36:46 AM #

And once again Verizon does _NOT_ come out with the latest and greatest.

--
Palm Vx -> Palm m515 -> Tungsten T3 -> Treo 650

RE: Verizon

SeldomVisitor @ 10/27/2007 8:56:58 AM #

Not going to be a concern pretty soon - Sprint/Nextel is apparently going to go unlocked with their phones:

-- http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/26/sprint-nextel-agrees-to-start-unlocking-phones/

RE: Verizon

AdamaDBrown @ 10/27/2007 7:56:00 PM #

Doesn't change the fact that Verizon won't activate them.

SDK for iPhone

ggeoffre @ 10/21/2007 12:07:16 AM #

Is it just me, or did Apple's timing of the announcement to support third party applications come shortly after reports of the iPhone's market share not dominating the smart phone market a coincidence? As a very happy Treo 650 owner (Sprint), that announcement along with Palms honest appraisal of not having an updated operating system for another sixteen months is very disappointing.

Purchasing a Centro to upgrade my current 650 is a no brainer, but do I want to lock myself into a two year contract with all of the changes going on in the smart phone market place right now? Two years is a long time to hang on to a dated platform, believe me I know, I have been doing so since the 650 first came out. The question is, am I willing to stay the course for another two years, or with the iPhone opening up to third party applications the way to go?

It is likely that it will take at least twelve months for developers to come out with a decent assortment of applications on the iPhone to compete with the dwindling number of current and updated software titles available on Garnet. What is also uncertain is whether or not developers will be willing to invest in the next generation palm OS, or if they will have already jumped ship and ported the lion share of leading edge application development over to another platform like the iPhone.

I could just purchase the Centro without the contract extension, or I could plan on breaking the contract early, either way, it is about $1-200 over the $99 price. Not a huge gamble, at least the 650 cables and accessories should still work. Granted I will have to purchase new memory cards, extended batteries, and of course a different case. So it will likely be a $3-400 gamble.

RE: SDK for iPhone

jca666us @ 10/21/2007 7:35:56 AM #

It's just you:

http://www.mobiletechnews.com/info/2007/10/19/110636.html

Apple's goal is 10 million by the end of 2008 - their current sales figures are in excess of one million.

RE: SDK for iPhone

ggeoffre @ 10/21/2007 11:30:46 PM #

Fully understand that goal, and the fact that Apple is on target to achieve it. Have actually read that exact article before. The point was that the marketplace for smart phones is changing at a very fast pace. Locking into a Palm based solution for another two years may not be a wise choice. The single loudest criticism for the iPhone has been its lack of support of native third party development (beyond Web 2.0). AT&T's 2.5G EDGE is not Apples fault, and will be dealt with once the exclusivity clause in the contract expires and/or other companies agree to pay Apple for a percentage of revenue for each iPhone monthly contract.

Today, Palm has a better experience with a wider variety of third party applications, and I do feel that Sprint's EVDO is superior to the current connectivity of AT&T's 2.5G EDGE. Having a wireless DUN device is a major plus as well. I happen to agree with almost every point that Andrew made on the Treonauts blog (recent Treo state of the union posts "Setting The Treo Record Straight" and "Palm Treo 680 vs. Apple iPhone Comparison"). But how long will this continue to be an advantage? Doubtful for the next two years (beyond the hardware QWERTY advantage).

Applications will explode on the iPhone platform following the 2008 ADC, and Palm/Access is/are seriously behind on delivering an update to Garnet (Linux based POSE), as several articles on this site will attest to. Before Jobs announced officially and formally supporting and encouraging development on its iPhone, serious mainstream mobile application development organizations most likely dismissed the device all together. Over the next few months, those same organizations are likely having a much different discussion and having to make some hard decisions on the future direction of their individual product lines. Before October 17th, these companies had better things to do the week of January 14th 2008, after October 17th, may of these same individuals will likely be hanging out in the back of various keynotes and technical discussions in San Francisco.

The Centro is a nice little package, and is a real contender for us remaining 650 holdouts. But will this serious lack of advances continue to satisfy for the full two years? We may have no choice but to jump ship in order to survive in the quickly evolving smart phone marketplace before we all turn into that devote gathering of Newton owners that remain loyal to the platform that revolutionized their respective lives as the Treo has don for ours.

RE: SDK for iPhone

ggeoffre @ 10/22/2007 1:49:47 PM #

Not to get too far off topic, but this does speak to ones willingness to purchase a Centro via a long term contract in the current world of smart phones here in the US...

THE JOURNAL REPORT: TECHNOLOGY - Telecommunications
Free My Phone
Cellphone carriers tell us what phones we can use, and what software and services can be offered on those phones. Consumers deserve better.
By WALTER S. MOSSBERG
October 22, 2007
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119264941158362317.html

IMO: The review was very informative where the comparison of features to previous models were concerned, but was lacking as to information on how long such a dated product will be able to last in todays marketplace.

RE: SDK for iPhone

mikecane @ 10/23/2007 9:30:04 AM #

>>>It is likely that it will take at least twelve months for developers to come out with a decent assortment of applications on the iPhone to compete with the dwindling number of current and updated software titles available on Garnet.

No. There are apps *now*.

http://tinyurl.com/33jyqa

And your conspiracy theory is off. An SDK was planned from the get-go. It's been fun watching people turn into crybabies over this issue. I never had any doubt in the matter.

Apple, unlike Palm, is not stupid nor self-deluded.

BTW: Colligan, resign!

RE: SDK for iPhone

ggeoffre @ 10/23/2007 9:40:35 PM #

I realize that there are native applications available today for the iPhone (non Web 2.0 Applications), but I consider these to be "rogue" applications created by individual developers and are likely just one offs, and not part of the mainstream commercial mobile development community where a team of developers may support several commercially available products across multiple platforms. It would likely take twelve months for a good sampling of such development powerhouses to ramp up a good number of their existing product line on the iPhone. I am think about the SplanData, DataViz, Iambic, MobiMate, StandAlone and even ShapeServices to start seriously considering a different platform like the iPhone.

RE: SDK for iPhone-how open is open?

twrock @ 10/24/2007 10:06:10 PM #

Don't know if this has been linked yet, but I found it interesting:
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/10/25/motorola_says_iphone_will_not_be_open/

Thinking about Vista? Think again: http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt
Want an alternative? Try this: http://www.ubuntu.com/ or http://www.mepis.org/

RE: SDK for iPhone

mikecane @ 10/25/2007 8:51:11 AM #

Motorola should just STFU. Their own Linux OS is nothing to brag about.

And for the other guy -- I have no desire to see Palm app devs move to the iPhone. You can hold your breath. But I want better devs. And it won't take much for current Mac devs to move stuff over the iPhone. Twelve months? You've been beaten down by Palm too much!

RE: SDK for iPhone

ggeoffre @ 10/25/2007 11:49:19 PM #

The twelve month estimate was from now, October of 2007. Apple has announced that it will 'do something' at the next ADC in February of 2008. Assuming that this event will be the first time that any developer can access the iPhone SDK, that would leave eight months for apps to port over, test, and release. Some apps sooner, other apps later, the 'guestimate' was that a good sampling of solid applications running natively on the iPhone is about twelve months away. This is also assuming that this same collection of developers never planned on doing anything with the iPhone when it was only for Web 2.0 development, and they were not interested in gambling on developing applications for hacked iPhones.

No conspiracy theory, just a question if the events were choreographed (timed) based on recent events and market research. Apple most likely knew exactly what they were going to do, just waiting for a good time to tell us all of their plans. That was the observation being made, concerning the timing of the announcement.

The original point was that this will likely happen before the next release of a major Palm update on the next Palm OS, and certainly before a renewed two year contract with Sprint would expire. Love my Treo 650, have been using Palm devices since the Palm V first came out (still use my T|T). Would love to stay with Palm forever, just have not been able to see much added value in any new Palm devices recently. The real value I get from the device did not come from Palm, it came from the developers that created all of the applications on the Palm that I use every day. The 'core' applications are too similar on an device to be a distinguishing factor any more (contacts, calendar, email, web, chat). Once developers of 'unique' applications all support the iPhone platform, or their competitors come out with 'like' functionality, I will likely switch. I see that day coming in the next twelve months. And based on information, editorials, and comments in forums like this one, there is nothing being said to the contrary.

RE: SDK for iPhone

endaugust @ 12/25/2007 3:35:17 PM #

I doubt that *all* of your favorite 3rd party apps now usable on Palm will go on to the iPhone in the next 12 months. iPhone might open things up but it would take a while longer for apps to be functional and applicable on the new platform.

And you are not wasting your money by switching to Centro and extend your contract. Sprint still has the cheapest data plan available out there. Switch to AT&T (or wherever else) for an iPhone and your monthly phone bill will jack up.

$99 Centros are SO yesterday

SeldomVisitor @ 10/27/2007 8:55:49 AM #

Now $30 on Amazon.

Other Carriers

shirlock1 @ 10/29/2007 8:31:09 AM #

Thanks for the review. You did not mention is the other CDMA carrier, verizon, will be introducing the treo. Also did you find any problems with the need to reboot due to lock ups. My 700p is becoming more prone to needing continous reboots. Is there an easy solution for that?

Softkick Audio Gateway

Kai579 @ 12/3/2007 4:37:31 PM #

Quick Question...

I understand that adding the Softkick Audio Gateway software will enable me to listen to music wirelessly via bluetooth headset...is that the same case for a regular bluetooth earpiece. Will it allow me to connect to my reg earpiece as just a headset to transfer music?

I have a small earpiece, I would love to listen to music at work w/o anyone noticing!!

RE: Softkick Audio Gateway

endaugust @ 12/25/2007 3:29:09 PM #

The softstick app enables using bluetooth headset with STEREO. Of course, the Centro allows you to use Bluetooth normally without softstick app.

Keypad Malfunction

ddixon @ 12/10/2007 10:10:29 PM #

I'm on my second Palm Centro phone since October. The first phone just stopped working and the keypad on my second phone is not working well. Certain letters on keypad are not working. At this point there is a huge possibility I will be getting my third phone. Is anyone else having this same problem?

pictures

likeanisaid @ 12/10/2007 11:29:49 PM #

i really appriciate this review, its extremely thorough. but i was wondering, can you send pictures through text? i had a pocket pc before and it didnt have the capability to send pics through text, thats why i was wondering.

many thanks,
krystal

RE: pictures

Ryan @ 12/10/2007 11:50:03 PM #

Thanks. Yes, there is a mms multimedia message application included that can send text messages with pictures and sounds.

MicroSD or MicroSDHC

GoofyDude @ 12/11/2007 11:41:11 PM #

I just bought a Centro today off the Palm web site. I guess it will come in a week or so. What I can't figure out in reading everything I can find is if the OS can support the new 4GB MicroSDHC card or do I try to find the older 4GB MicroSD card. The trick here is that if the Centro can't support the MicroSDHC card, then the you can't get the older MicroSD. Just when you think you've spotted one, the HC logo is inevitably on it. What's worse, vendors forget to tell you that it is HC. Can anyone confirm with certainty whether Centro supports MicroSDHC or not? Thanks for reading this!

RE: MicroSD or MicroSDHC

endaugust @ 12/25/2007 3:27:14 PM #

My Centro works with MicroSDHC!

I like my Centro!

CougarMutt @ 1/23/2008 1:47:04 PM #

I am a recent convert from the Smartphone (Motorola Q) to the palm Centro. I find it easier to use, faster to operate, better connectivity, and more stable. not to mention the Centro has better reception than the Q. An area I drive through to and from work has a low spot (signal wise that is) and I would drop a call with my Q ina heartbeat! With the Centro, I barely loose a bar or connection (strting from full connectivity).

As for what it is lacking, the only thing I can think of is WiFi connectivity. it would be nice to be in a coffee shop with Free WiFi and connnect that way (on 802.11x) rather than through the Sprint Data network.

As for the battery cover squeeking, never had that issue. I camp once each month with a Scout Troop and what i do is get a freezer grade Ziplock (pint size) and put my phone in it. It is sand proof, water proof - rain proof, and mud proof. You can also talk through the bag if need be.

Once I turned off the BEAM my battery lasted a lot...LOT...longer. And i leave the Bluetooth on only when I need it. My battery lasts for a couple days now.

Drawback, my Blue Any headphone (Bluetooth earpiece) will not initiate an autodial. is there a way to set up the earpiece to initiate a voicedial?

Well, nuff said. have fun!

Centro Review

bill45 @ 2/1/2008 2:09:25 PM #

i have had my centro for a few days. I just would like to say that its soooo awesome. i think the point about the ear phone size is right. my friend bought a iphone and i am sorry but 499 to 99 come on!!! this is by far the better buy. they say the keys are too small yet i only use one hand to send text and its no probleam. if your a two thumbs person then it is. I have had zero troubles with this unit love all the apps. no its not a iphone but its not 499 either. oh yea to all you iphone people suckers.

Does the Centro freeze up & require reboot?

scooter137 @ 2/17/2008 12:16:23 AM #

I am thinking of buying the Centro, but can Centro owners please tell me if it freezes up on you? A friend who owned the Treo 650 told me that it would often freeze up while he was using the PIM programs and required rebooting. From reading online user reviews of Treo 650 and 680, I have read many similar complaints. One user reviewer on CNET claimed this was due to the inherent limitation of the Palm OS, being ill-equipped for the multi-tasking required in a phone-PDA. Because the Centro has the same OS, I wondered if you have noticed this. From reading the user reviews on the Centro on this site as well as other sites, I have not noticed any complaints about this. One more thing -- AT&T has better coverage where I live than Sprint, and AT&T just released the Centro. Does anyone know if I can expect the same performance from the Centro on ATT as it does on Sprint? I know one has EDGE and the other has EVDO, but I don't care that much about how quickly I can surf the net, I mostly want a reliable phone and PDA. Many thanks.