A Look at the Olive Green Centro

Posted By: Ryan Kairer Wednesday, October 22, 2008 4:32:11 PM

Palm and Sprint announced new Olive Green and Vibrant Rose colored Centro smartphones last week and today we take a close look at the Olive Green variety. In addition to the new colors, these two models also bring a few relatively minor improvements in the form of double the built in program memory as well as some updated applications. Additionally, the new shades come with a soft touch finish for a better grip and a smoother, smudge free exterior.

Read on for our impressions and a full photo gallery of the new Olive Green Centro.

With these two latest additions the Palm Centro is now currently available in seven different colors from Palm and its various carrier partners. Sprint's original Ruby Red and the limited edition Pink model were just quietly retired with the new announcement.

Olive Green Palm Centro Photo Gallery

Olive Green Centro
The new Centros come in the same old style Palm box as before. No Treo Pro treatment of yet...

"Olive" is the best adjective for this shade of green. Also new is the darker silver gray button bar and trimming around the sides of the device. The soft touch finish has a pleasant feel and has the added benefit of not showing fingerprints and sweat smudges.

Olive Green Centro
Side view and top and bottom views.

The thumboard up close. The keyboard itself feels like it is using a different, updated material. It is significantly more grippy than the earlier models. My fingers tend to stay in place better and don't slide all over the place like before. It's a small but very useful change.

Olive Green Centro
Still the same Palm OS Garnet v5.4.9. You weren't really expecting to see anything new here were you? On the flip-side there is 2x the RAM...

Olive Green Centro
An updated version of Google Maps is included in the rom with the "My Location" functionality enabled. Palm's Blazer is still on hand for mobile web browsing. Currently showing the mobile version of MobilityBeat. Also newly included out of the box is Palm's new Facebook client for Palm OS as well as a free copy of Astraware's Sudoku.

And there you have it, Palm's refreshed Palm OS line for 2008.

Palm says the new Olive Green and Vibrant Pink models will be in "select retail locations" starting Oct 19th, and in all Sprint retail stores and channels and online at Palm.com starting November 2nd. The devices will sell at special holiday pricing to the tune of $79.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Previously:

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What about Chartreuse?

hoodoo @ 10/22/2008 4:58:41 PM #

Looking forward to the Chartreuse and Pistachio versions myself!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartreuse_(color)

RE: What about Chartreuse?

PacManFoo @ 10/22/2008 5:13:42 PM #

Wow! It's so olive yet so green. Amazing Palm. Just when I thought they couldn't improve on the Centro they shock (and Awe!) all of us with such an awesome upgrade. iPhone, run and hide because the mighty Olive Centro is going to eat you for breakfast. Imagine that guy in your office with the iPhone and when he pulls it out and a large crowd always forms around him. Well just imagine you then slip out your Olive Green Bomb on them. You'll be the office techno stud for sure. Those laughs are just laughs of jealousy and don't you forget it. Here's to you Mr. Olive Green Palm Centro Techno Stud.

The last known classic PDA user.
I've recently upgraded from a PLAM TX to a Newton MP2000!
http://newtonpda.googlepages.com

RE: What about Chartreuse?

hkklife @ 10/22/2008 9:05:36 PM #

Somehow, Palm, please manage to release this Centro "1.5" in black or dark blue with the rubberized paint for Verizon & in GSM variants. And throw in a 1350mAh stock battery for good measure. THEN you'll be able to put Garnet out to pasture without hanging your head in shame.

Until then, this green looks absolutely horrendous. It's giving me Exorcist pea soup puke nightmares!

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

Pea Soup

Gekko @ 10/22/2008 5:25:09 PM #

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-emQAsGMeQ

Is there any sign of increased DBCache?

jeffhoward001 @ 10/22/2008 9:46:42 PM #

Do you still see the lag between using Blazer and the Email app? (It doesn't have to be Blazer and the Email app, it can be any two large apps on the phone, but those two tend to produce consistent "DBCache-Flush-Lag" results.

- Jeff

Tungsten T -> Palm TX -> TX & Centro (Good combo so far!)

RE: Is there any sign of increased DBCache?

asiayeah @ 10/23/2008 7:44:00 AM #

If Palm upgrades the unlocked model, I would consider it.

Anyway, why don't Palm release a Centro Pro with a faster CPU and a higher megapixel camera with LED flash? That would give customers more choice and they could also charge a bit more money. Now, if they could bundle a FM radio, that would make the 1st Palm smartphone with radio!

Better still, just give the Centro some new fancier icons, that would make a huge difference as well.

-
With great power comes great responsiblity.

RE: Is there any sign of increased DBCache?

Gekko @ 10/23/2008 8:24:46 AM #

the centro IS a great little product! i love it.

RE: Is there any sign of increased DBCache?

Ryan @ 10/23/2008 9:40:41 AM #

According to DBCacheTool the new Centro reports:

Cache (Heap) Size: 16498416
Free (after boot): 15369800
Mac alloc: 15217960

I don't have an original Centro on hand at the moment to compare.

RE: Is there any sign of increased DBCache?

Gekko @ 10/23/2008 9:49:56 AM #

i think i know the answer to this - but - does it seem snappier at all in any way?

RE: Is there any sign of increased DBCache?

PacManFoo @ 10/23/2008 11:49:30 AM #

Snappier Color!

The last known classic PDA user.
I've recently upgraded from a PLAM TX to a Newton MP2000!
http://newtonpda.googlepages.com

RE: Is there any sign of increased DBCache?

hkklife @ 10/23/2008 12:46:57 PM #

So it appears the "new" Centro has approx 2x the heap/cache size of the original version (according to Ryan's review from last year of the original Sprint Centro). Makes sense.....almost 2x the amount of available memory for storage, so 2x the DB heap/cache is logical as well.

Glad to see these (expected) improvements alongside the rubberized paint as well as the unexpected improvements in the keyboard material.

They still ain't gonna make a silk purse out of the Centro but maybe a decent cotton purse in "fresh, hip" colors purse isn't out of the question!

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

Its a nice improvement

evilduck @ 10/23/2008 11:03:36 AM #

Reminds me of the color of money. Internal spec improvment seems nice tool

Made Where?

robin24k @ 10/23/2008 3:09:19 PM #

Ryan,

I'm curious...are the new Centros still made in China?

RE: Made Where?

Ryan @ 10/23/2008 3:44:28 PM #

Yes, the Centro is made in China including these latest refreshes.

RE: Made Where?

robin24k @ 10/23/2008 4:51:52 PM #

Thanks for the quick reply! It looks to be of slighty better quality than before. Maybe it's the rubberized surface...

RE: Made Where?

asiayeah @ 10/25/2008 6:25:50 AM #

What's wrong with made in China? Almost all electronic gadgets are made in China now, including Apple's ones.

-
With great power comes great responsiblity.

RE: Made Where?

Gekko @ 10/25/2008 7:02:31 AM #

toxic lead rubberized paint, maybe?

RE: Made Where?

asiayeah @ 10/26/2008 12:55:01 AM #

Gekko, will you throw away all your electronic gadgets which are made in China?

-
With great power comes great responsiblity.

RE: Made Where?

Gekko @ 10/26/2008 8:44:57 PM #

no, but i will stop using them as chew toys.

and my dry cleaner is korean, not chinese.

Why so little

smileyboy @ 11/15/2008 9:36:03 PM #

why couldn't Palm hve made the Centro, Flush screen 3.5 MM stereo jack and redo the call/end and bezel buttons to make it "look" different. Then release it in Silver Black and Red. they would have sold tons for the Holidays. Who wants a silly Green or Red phone. yuck Palm.