Palm Extended Centro Battery EOL'd

The way I figure it, we have a few different scenarios in the works, in order of decreasing likelihood:

1.This is a typo and the batteries are still coming out (perhaps delayed?)

2. Palm's working on a smaller-sized, smaller capacity (1400 NiMH?) OEM-sized batter for the Centro that will fit under the stock battery door.

3. Seidio is about to unleash an OEM-sized, high capacity OEM-sized battery and Palm figured they might throw in the towel as far as the aftermarket battery business.

4.Palm is prepping a mildly upgraded Centro 2 (basically a Centro 1.25) for release -maybe as a Verizon exclusive for the time being-that will have Google My Location functionality built in alongside a higher capacity standard battery.

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

Nearly every "power talker" people/execs/corporate type I know that use a smartphone (not just Palm-RIM, Moto, Samsung etc) either bitch & moan incessantly about the poor battery life compared to their old dumbphone and/or have had to buy an extended battery to make it through the day. Mind you, these aren't people watching MPEG movies all day or doing BT DUN, just doing a lot of talking.

I know I feel the pinch when on my 755p's standard 1600mAh battery, so I can imagine how bad the Centro's 1150mAh one would be, especially with BT on.

Or, SV, perhaps it's more like "A market study showed Centro users/owners/potential owners were unwilling to compromise their device's small size/weight with bulky aftermarket batteries". Again, form over function--so perhaps Palm's average customers really are unlike the notoriously difficult PIC crowd!?!?! :-)

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

From the latest earnings transcript:

== "...Centro is also attracting non-traditional customers to
== smartphones. More than 70% of Centro buyers are traditional
== cell phone users who are buying a smartphone for the first time..."

I can speak for myself as a long time palm user. My current T3 is having some problems and I've already replaced the battery once. I don't want to buy another palm unit unless it is a one device unit, which I'm starting to think would be nicer. I'm considering the 755p or the centro if verizon ever gets it. The centro is very appealing due to the cost and size - not too much invested or to loose if I do something different later. It also has a nice feel in the hand. But I don't want to wait as long as it took verizon to come out with the 755p, that is if they are in fact going to have the centro as rumored. I hope they do. Anyone heard anything else?

Steve

Are you SURE you want a converged "one device" unit? You will be giving up the 3.5mm headphone jack, snappy performance, and the 320x480 screen of the T3.

If you must go with a smartphone, the Centro has snappier performance, marginally better voice quality, a louder speakerphone, a moderately improved camera, and a slightly more modern OS/software bundle. It's also cheaper than the Treos but the weak battery and small screen/keyboard are major turn-offs for many power users (myself included).

The 755p improves over the Centro with a larger & better keyboard, better stylus, larger screen, more available peripherals, and higher-capacity stock batter with the option of more powerful 2200mAh Seidio aftermarket batteries in the same OEM size. The 755p also has better build quality and the nice soft-touch rubberized coating. The choice of miniSD may or may not be a factor to you, as might the more subdued "professional" appearance.

Remember, if you end up with ANY smartphone tied to a 2-year contract, it'll be very difficult and/or expensive to "change" devices during that contract period....caveat emptor!

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

Are you happy with your new 755p and verizon contract? I'm assuming you didn't pay full price. $200 with renewed contract at verizon makes it more appealing, better even for the centro (maybe). Keyboard could be an issue.

I do agree that contracts are a pain and I don't really like being tied into one.

As far as a pda, I only use my T3 for scheduling and contacts mostly and a couple other programs. I don't even bother with word and excel docs anymore as I prefer layout on larger size like my macbook for that. With the demands of my work changes have come as o how I use my T3, but I always need my cell phone because it's my business line. In fact I find that I carry it everywhere and leave my T3 home - I just don't like carrying around both.

So for me one device is perfect even if I have to sign the evil two year contract. I just need to make sure I get the one I really want as I don't typically buy a new phone just because my contract is up. So any opinions about the two devices is appreciated.

Steve