Palm Treo 680 launches on Cingular, $199

We got a Treo here, everybody, the 680 to be exact. It is, as we all well know by now, going to go for $200 after two year service agreement (with unlimited data plan), and will be available as of Black Friday. Wii for the kids, Treo 680 for yourself. Decisions can be difficult to make, wouldn't you say?

P.S. -It's not without at least one review, either.

Read - Laptop, 4/5, "does the best job of making it simple to juggle voice calls, messaging, the Web, and PIM functions"

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[George @ Nov 22nd 2006 3:17AM]

WOO HOO! Let the orders flow in. I was wrong before so I guess it is legit. I'm waiting on the 750 myself, but have at it y'all and let me know how good it is.

[Scott Pettit @ Nov 22nd 2006 4:45AM]

I just got my 750 yesterday (New Zealand) - easily the best PDA/PIM type device I've ever used, only downside is a lack of WiFi and the screen is a tiny bit cramped. So many Windows devices suffer from a lack of grunt, making them slow and cumbersome to use - Palm have finally perfected it and made a device that's both fast and their cool Palm 'tweaks' to Windows Mobile.

[alloneword @ Nov 22nd 2006 3:19AM]

This is pretty cool because it is the first Palm (powered) Treo to come to Australia since the 650, we never got the 700 series.

[Mog @ Nov 22nd 2006 4:05AM]

It's kinda funny that Cingular isn't getting the orange one. Just the grey one.

All the other colors are only available unlocked from Palm.

It'll probably come down to this or the iPhone when I'm looking for my new phone early next year.

[zedwards @ Nov 22nd 2006 6:02AM]

Wii for the kids???

[Sonia @ Nov 22nd 2006 9:07AM]

So is Cingular definitely not releasing in the other colors? I'd hate to buy it in grey to find out that they're going to release the other colors soon.

[rgully @ Nov 22nd 2006 9:25AM]

Palm only is selling unlocked version of the 680 in different colors.

[SCREW Cing @ Nov 22nd 2006 9:29AM]

Cingular Data and Text plans SUCK!!! I pay $15 for unlimited test at T-Blo while Cing has no unlimited and I would be paying $300 just for texting with them. I don't want to help them dumbasses pay $1.2B to change their name back to ATTWS as it should have been to begin with. I miss ATTWS so much now.

[roadrunner @ Nov 22nd 2006 9:42AM]

Funny that the unlocked price is $399 and the price locked in to cingular's network without add'l service contract is $449. So for less money, you get unlocked, and choice of colors.

[apeguero @ Nov 22nd 2006 10:37AM]

Hey Ryan,

Did your 680 have any problems with the microphone as previously report by Engadget? Over 140,000 units had to be sent back because some wire to the microphone was not connected propery?

I decided to skip this one as it's really offering nothing new, read: same old OS. I also decided to skip on the Treo 750 - took too long to come to Cingular and unlocked is way too expensive. I just picked up the 8525 yesterday at my local Cingular store.

Now, pay attention please: I asked the manager if he could give me some kind of break on the $599.99 price for the 8525 since I'm not elligible, the guy gave me %40 off plus the $50.00 mail in rebate certificate as long as I subscribed to the unlimited data for a couple of months. Sweet! Especially since I've only been on Cingular for 3 months now. I paid $359.99 for the phone. Final money spent will be $309.99 after I receive the rebate check.

Try it out people. Ask managers nicely to use manager's discretion on these and pick up the unlimited data for a couple of months. It justifies them giving you an upgrade discount when you are not elligible for one. They scratch your back you scratch theirs - I guess.

[Atlantis @ Nov 22nd 2006 1:26PM]

You can lower your price of Treo 680 if you will trade your old Treo with Palm. This is from Palm.com website:

"Buy any Palm� Treo� 680 smartphone, send us your Treo 650 and we'll mail you a check for $125!"

But actually you can also trade older Treo 600 as I am going to try and that will cut the cost of my new unlocked Tre 680 to $ 354,- which is not that bad, considering that I can stay with T-Mob and do not have to sign my life to any new plan.

[rgully @ Nov 22nd 2006 1:32PM]

Apeguero, Mobility Today said they asked Palm about the microphone rumor and Palm gave them back the lame corporate slogan of �We don�t comment on rumors.�

[Nick @ Nov 22nd 2006 3:09PM]

Best looking treo to date

[Me @ Nov 22nd 2006 4:01PM]

I can guarantee Cingular is to be selling the Treo 750 soon as I have product training on it this next week so I bet it'll be out later this holiday season.

[Adam Armstrong @ Nov 22nd 2006 4:21PM]

What the EDGE? Hello, 3G, are you there? Hello?!?!?!

[Hugh Jass @ Nov 23rd 2006 2:31AM]

Palm OS 5.4.9 Garnet can't handle UMTS/HSDPA. Sorry, Adam.

[GJP303 @ Nov 22nd 2006 4:59PM]

i guess im a kid then.. Ryan, my friend, everyone, young and old enjoys the wii.

[KV @ Nov 23rd 2006 2:53PM]

Can I find the Treo 680 on a Cingular website or just at a Cingular store? I can't find it anywhere on the net.

[George @ Nov 24th 2006 12:25AM]

It's on the cingular website now. However, to get the colors, you have to order and unlocked one from Palm.

[Dik @ Nov 24th 2006 8:23PM]

I just got home with mine. I think the Carbon is the best color out of all the other ones, so I was happy to go to the Cingular store, right before stopping by the T-Mo store, and canceling my Sidekick 3 plan. So far, so good. A phone that does everything I need it to do, without breaking the bank.