Comments on: Treo 600 from Sprint & Amazon for $250

If the only thing holding you back from the Treo 600 is the price, here comes some good news. Amazon.com is now offering the Treo 600 for $250 after rebate and new Sprint PCS service agreements. update (3): The rebate has been extended further until Jan 6th, 2004

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Wow

Finch @ 11/25/2003 3:26:19 PM #

when i saw this i just screamed and couldnt belive it AHHHHHHHHHH.........hafta to buy one now ! what an amazing deal !

RE: Wow

Scott R @ 11/25/2003 4:03:46 PM #

Remember that this deal requires that you sign a two-year contract. For $50 more, you can sign just a one-year contract.

Considering that you can get the Nokia 3650 for free with a one-year contract, I still think this smartphone is overpriced. I think $150-200 with a one-year contract would be reasonable.

Scott

http://Tapland.com
- Tapwave Zodiac News, Reviews, & Discussion -

Some people will always complain...

Hippocrates @ 11/25/2003 4:20:40 PM #

Considering that you can get the Nokia 3650 for free with a one-year contract, I still think this smartphone is overpriced. I think $150-200 with a one-year contract would be reasonable.

Get serious. For $250 you're getting a phone and a solid PDA. What else can you buy for $250 that compares? Please let us know.

If it was $200, you'd probably say it should be $100. If it was $100, you'd say it should be free.

$250 for a Treo 600 is a fair price.

RE: 3650 lov-uh

nrosser @ 11/25/2003 6:16:55 PM #

Plus don't forget that our man Scott is unusually enamored with the 3650, and constantly uses it as a comparison device for the 600 and other such units.
I'm not saying the 3650 isn't a good unit, it's just a different market segment than the 600 - I think a more-accurate comparison would be against the BerryPhone 7230, and other thumbboard units.
But $250 is a GOOD price for the total package, regardless of the carrier commitment needed....

RE: Wow

Scott R @ 11/25/2003 7:14:10 PM #

Well, I don't own a Nokia 3600-series, though I would if I could find it with the right mix of a cell provider. Sprint has good coverage and a fairly priced unlimited data plan but doesn't offer it.

Is that phone not a good comparison? Correct - it doesn't have a thumbboard. IMO, the Treo's thumbboard is now so small that it's of limited advantage. It also has MP3 stereo. OTOH, the Nokia has Bluetooth, a noticeably better camera (which is capable of video recording), voice dial, a true multitasking OS, a higher res screen, a replaceable battery, and can be had for free after rebate with a one year contract vs the Treo 600's $300 price with one-year contract.

It also has a GUI which was designed from the ground up for smartphone purposes. Handspring made some very good improvements in this regard with their D-Pad integration, but the majority of apps will still require that you tap on the screen to do anything.

IMO, the Treo is not worth $300 more than the Nokia.

Scott

http://Tapland.com
- Tapwave Zodiac News, Reviews, & Discussion -

RE: Wow

Scott R @ 11/25/2003 7:21:02 PM #

Oh, and I forgot...potatoho even made a palmOne IR keyboard driver for the Nokia 3650.

Scott

http://Tapland.com
- Tapwave Zodiac News, Reviews, & Discussion -

RE: Wow

Foo Fighter @ 11/26/2003 1:13:22 AM #

I'm beginning to think Ryan is just taunting me with all these Treo/carrier announcements. Damn that cheeky little monkey! ;-)

-------------------------------
My blog: www.pocketfactory.com

Expensive

Edward Green @ 11/26/2003 2:56:48 AM #

Treo 600 can be had now for about £60 with a £25 pm contract (1 yr).

http://tinyurl.com/wlv6

Cant believe I paid £100 for it.

Edward Green
--
http://www.khite.co.uk

RE: Wow

ceejay @ 11/26/2003 7:53:53 AM #

Just paid £120 for my Treo 600 direct from Orange!

RE: Wow

Davy Fields @ 11/26/2003 4:15:21 PM #

"IMO, the Treo is not worth $300 more than the Nokia."

That statement makes me think you've had neither the time to test the Nokia 3650 or the Treo 600.

Last time I looked for Symbian .mp3 software on Handango, I found one program for $45 dollars... and you're putting the audio through the headset... nice.

The Nokia 3650 is a nice device, plenty of features, but it's bulky, has average battery life, and has no data entry to speak of. The roatary pad is a disaster when it comes to text entry. Even review, and personal experience from the Treo 600 I've read speaks very kindly of the thumbpad.

And, of course, the fact that the Treo uses the Palm OS and the 20,000 applications available has to count for something. I've probably run into a dozen freeware symbian applications in my time, and the amount of Symbian software is low... sure, you can use Java, but comparing the Symbian to the Treo, spare the cliché, is like comparing Apples and Oranges.

-Davy Fields
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Palm_OS_5/

RE: Wow

Scott R @ 11/26/2003 7:19:22 PM #

Davy, I already acknowledged that the Nokia 3650 doesn't offer stereo MP3. There are apps for playing MP3s on the 3650, but the hardware can't do it in stereo, so I wouldn't recommend it anyway. Text entry is another feature that is lacking, but the rotary keypad is better than a traditional keypad for this and there is the ability to use an IR foldable keyboard with the 3650.

Number of apps available? Yes, the Palm OS has a huge advantage here. But the Series 60 platform is growing significantly and Nokia is using the same sort of model that Palm used (not making developers jump through hoops to have their apps "certified") which will help the freeware/shareware library grow.

Let's face it...this is a Palm-focused web site, so I don't want to come across as a Palm-basher (obviously, I'm not), but I think it's important to have a realistic view of the competition and I personally feel that the Treo 600 is priced too high to have a huge success. 3650 or not, $300 with a one-year contract is more expensive than people are accustomed to paying for phones these days.

Scott

http://Tapland.com
- Tapwave Zodiac News, Reviews, & Discussion -

RE: Wow

Edward Green @ 11/27/2003 9:49:12 AM #

Scotts actual point holds true. In Europe where Series 60 rules the Treo 600 is priced against this:

http://tinyurl.com/wsb9

Edward Green
--
http://www.khite.co.uk

RE: Wow

markmp @ 1/15/2004 12:16:03 PM #

Wow. Have you ever used the 3650? I think Nokia would have to pay me $350 to use that beast. It is a disaster in usability.

I will say that the newer Nokia/Symbian devices are much, much nicer.

-M

better hurry ... rebate ends tonight

cyberjnke @ 11/25/2003 6:51:54 PM #

the amazon 200 rebate ends midnight tonight!! strange they post this story on the last day of the rebate..

Deal has been extended

palmandrew @ 11/26/2003 5:54:38 PM #

Amazon has posted a new rebate that is good for the same deal until 12/1/03. Buy em up quick!

RE: Deal has been extended

stillaresident @ 11/27/2003 2:10:32 PM #

I just ordered the T600 from Amazon and printed the two sets of rebate coupons ($150 Sprint & $200 Amazon) from the Amazon site. Maybe I'm being too paranoid, but the small print on the Sprint rebate requires the "original certificate" (i.e. rebate coupon) and further states "NO PHOTOCOPIES WILL BE ACCEPTED".

Will printouts of the certificate from Amazon's site qualify as "original"?

Also, the Amazon rebate coupon states that a 1st month
Sprint bill must be submitted with their coupon by 1/30/2004. If the Treo 600's won't even arrive until 1/14/2004, there's really not much of a chance that anybody will be able to submit the Amazon rebate with the 1st month's bill.

Anybody have any experience with Amazon and Sprint regarding these circumstances?

question

Finch @ 11/26/2003 6:43:01 PM #

"Remember that this deal requires that you sign a two-year contract. For $50 more, you can sign just a one-year contract."

i dont understand what does he mean by that? when i go set up my phone with a 1 year plan it comes out to $599....

do you mean that with a one year plan your rebates are $200 + $100 and with a two year its $200 + $150?

RE: question

Scott R @ 11/26/2003 7:18:44 PM #

Yes, that is correct.

http://Tapland.com
- Tapwave Zodiac News, Reviews, & Discussion -

What about Verizon ?

fool faughter @ 11/27/2003 4:11:46 AM #

Where is availability for verizon ?

RE: What about Verizon ?

archer823 @ 12/1/2003 4:57:01 PM #

What about it? Verizon has traditionally always been lagging behind. They really don't even have a Palm phone for sale any more do they? It's all Pocket PC.

RE: What about Verizon ?

Marshall Flinkman @ 12/1/2003 10:18:22 PM #

They have the Kyo 7135...

Ships in 2004

gemini1111 @ 11/27/2003 1:29:38 PM #

Keep in mind that Amazon is saying this product ships between Dec 30 2003 and Jan 14 2003. I don't know how this compares to other vendors.

Deal has been extended AGAIN

palmandrew @ 12/2/2003 1:06:06 PM #

Amazon has again extended the rebate. This deal is now good trough 1/6/04. Expect long shipping delays though!

RE: Deal has been extended AGAIN

gregaber @ 12/8/2003 5:24:58 AM #

My wife just bought her Treo 600 from a local Sprint store and they honored both rebates without having to go through Amazon. Maybe it was because she wanted the 4500 minute plan that Sprint offered but Amazon did not, or that she would switch from Verizon to Sprint if they'd cut her a deal. Luckily the manager approved it.

RE: Deal has been extended AGAIN

gemini1111 @ 12/9/2003 4:17:33 PM #

Was this a Sprint retail store or licensed seller (such as car toys, best buy, etc.)?

Best Buy is advertising the same deal.

tthiel @ 12/16/2003 12:10:39 AM #

Comment

RE: Best Buy is advertising the same deal.

jphj44 @ 12/18/2003 12:52:48 PM #

Not on bestbuy.com they're not.

RE: Best Buy is advertising the same deal.

rch33k @ 12/18/2003 9:59:26 PM #

I stopped by Best Buy last night to check this out. Unless it's regional, they don't have the same deal there, and they won't match Amazon. What they do have (and why I might go with them) is a $50 instant rebate, and the $150 Sprint PCS rebate (also instant), bringing the out-of-pocket to $400, which you can do with a 6 months same-as-cash on the BestBuy card.

Note that the $150 instant also applies if you are SprintPCS customer with 18 months under your belt and are not on a contract. I don't see that on the Amazon form, and you have to sign up for (new) service on the Amazon.Com site to qualify for their rebates. Scared me off a bit - I've had enough problems with the humans at Sprint changing my service plans.

Have any existing Sprint customers done the Amazon deal? Did it work? Has anyone actually received a phone from them yet? The extra $150 in rebates is compelling, but the "bird in the hand" quote comes to mind, and it's nice to use BB's $400 for 6 months, instead of Amazon.com using my $600 for 3-4 months (with no guarantees when the phone will ship).

Robert Cheek