Jordan
08-18-2005, 03:39 PM
The Treo 650 is PalmOne's answer to all the complaints from the legendary Treo 600, yet it still isn't perfect. Many will argue, however, it's one of the best smart phones on the market.
The Specs
Palm OS v5.2H
312mhz Processor
32 MB NVFS Ram
Built in Bluetooth Technology
320 X 320 Screen
Built In Thumb Keyboard
The Phone
What's great about the 650 is that it now includes dedicated "Phone Answer" and "Phone End" keys. This is one of my complaints I had with the 600. They work as advertised. When you hit the phone key, it brings up the virtual dial keys, and your "Favorites" You can set up your favorite applications here, and run them from this screen. Very convenient. Reception wise, the Treo 650 is great. It get's signal in places where some Sanyo's and LG's don't; However, you do only get digital signal, no analog roam available. If analog roam is important to you, DON'T BUY THIS PHONE! SMS is a dream with the built in Thumb Keyboard. My SMS's per month have increased dramatically! Web surfing is also made very easy, with all the screen real estate and thumb keyboard. Bluetooth is another great inclusion on the 650. Using a bluetooth headset is very easy, as the Treo detects it quickly and easily. Advertised talk time is in the 6 hour range, and I have to agree with it. I talked on the phone for 2 hours straight and it brought my battery life down to 80% (This was also through a bluetooth headset, so that hit the battery even more) The bad thing about the earpiece, is that the volume is low. So, if your hard at hearing, either use the included earpiece, or get a bluetooth headset.
Overall: 7 out of 10
The PDA
It runs Palm OS Garnet 5.4. Under the hood, you get a 312mhz processor, and externally, you get the beautiful 320 X 320 screen, which is a much needed improvement over the 600's 160 X 160 low resolution screen. The implementation of NVFS memory did cause problems at first, but as long as you have the latest update (1.12) it will have fixed those problems. The good thing about NVFS is that if your phone dies, your information will still be there. The included VGA camera is good, but a 1.3 megapixel camera is a must on the next treo.
Overall: 8.5 out of 10
The Good
- Great Screen
- Great Signal
- Beautiful Display
- Intuitive Thumb Keyboard
- Bluetooth
The Bad
- No analog roam
- Low Earpiece volume
- VGA Camera
The Final Verdict
Overall, the Treo is one of the best smartphones on the market. It combines your cellphone, pager, and PDA into one. At $599, it is pricey, but after a new or renewed contract, you can get it for considerably lower.
The Result: 9 out of 10
The Specs
Palm OS v5.2H
312mhz Processor
32 MB NVFS Ram
Built in Bluetooth Technology
320 X 320 Screen
Built In Thumb Keyboard
The Phone
What's great about the 650 is that it now includes dedicated "Phone Answer" and "Phone End" keys. This is one of my complaints I had with the 600. They work as advertised. When you hit the phone key, it brings up the virtual dial keys, and your "Favorites" You can set up your favorite applications here, and run them from this screen. Very convenient. Reception wise, the Treo 650 is great. It get's signal in places where some Sanyo's and LG's don't; However, you do only get digital signal, no analog roam available. If analog roam is important to you, DON'T BUY THIS PHONE! SMS is a dream with the built in Thumb Keyboard. My SMS's per month have increased dramatically! Web surfing is also made very easy, with all the screen real estate and thumb keyboard. Bluetooth is another great inclusion on the 650. Using a bluetooth headset is very easy, as the Treo detects it quickly and easily. Advertised talk time is in the 6 hour range, and I have to agree with it. I talked on the phone for 2 hours straight and it brought my battery life down to 80% (This was also through a bluetooth headset, so that hit the battery even more) The bad thing about the earpiece, is that the volume is low. So, if your hard at hearing, either use the included earpiece, or get a bluetooth headset.
Overall: 7 out of 10
The PDA
It runs Palm OS Garnet 5.4. Under the hood, you get a 312mhz processor, and externally, you get the beautiful 320 X 320 screen, which is a much needed improvement over the 600's 160 X 160 low resolution screen. The implementation of NVFS memory did cause problems at first, but as long as you have the latest update (1.12) it will have fixed those problems. The good thing about NVFS is that if your phone dies, your information will still be there. The included VGA camera is good, but a 1.3 megapixel camera is a must on the next treo.
Overall: 8.5 out of 10
The Good
- Great Screen
- Great Signal
- Beautiful Display
- Intuitive Thumb Keyboard
- Bluetooth
The Bad
- No analog roam
- Low Earpiece volume
- VGA Camera
The Final Verdict
Overall, the Treo is one of the best smartphones on the market. It combines your cellphone, pager, and PDA into one. At $599, it is pricey, but after a new or renewed contract, you can get it for considerably lower.
The Result: 9 out of 10