Treo 680 review roundup

Featuring the same 312MHz Intel processor, 320 x 320 pixel display and EDGE modem as its 650 predecessor, the Treo 680 isn't by any means a revolutionary smartphone. Frustratingly for aficionados of Palm's software design, the 680 improvements are for the most part a consolidation of small tweaks that have been made to other models in the Treo line-up which have been coupled with a slight slimming down in dimensions and weight. Fortunately, the incremental improvements are numerous: usable memory has been increased to 66MB, version numbers of bundled-apps like DocumentsToGo and the Blazer web browser have been upped, and according to LaptopMag, the new dimensions and 0.7 ounce weight reduction results in a device that "feels a lot lighter than it looks." Unfortunately the lack of WiFi, the appalling VGA camera -- which Palm claims isn't much different than a 1 megapixel camera (right) -- and the staid design results in a device that PC Magazine says has "a strong whiff of 2004 about it." (Say, didn't we state just that a few days ago?) Ultimately it's up to you whether you think the relatively low price ($199 w/2 year Cingular contract), incremental updates, and the ever-brilliant Palm OS are good enough to distract you from the weak hardware and budget-price feature set.

Read - LaptopMag, 4/5 "Priced for the masses but also designed for the masses"
Read - PC Magazine, 3/5 "The masses will find it helps them get organized, but for early adopters, there's just not enough spice here"
Read - CNET, 7.0/10 "...the Palm Treo 680 is a good smart phone for the first-time buyer"
Read - MyTreo "It feels nicer in the hand than my Treo 700p with its external antenna"

[Joshua Ochs @ Nov 25th 2006 6:49PM]

Agreed that this is a very minor update to the Treo 650. However, it will appeal to a lot of people looking to upgrade their Palm.

It should be noted that this is essentially a "Rev B" phone, so all of the minor glitches have been ironed out (memory management being the biggest) and it should be rock solid for "the masses".

The folks here will likely want to wait for a Treo 750p.

[Oniel @ Nov 25th 2006 7:00PM]

If this was a real entry level phone it should be free with 2 year contract.

[byaah @ Nov 25th 2006 7:54PM]

I do like how the 680 looks, but I have to agree that it is lacking in the features department. Though, I suppose thats what you should expect from an "entry-level" Treo..

[N2GJ @ Dec 10th 2006 2:27PM]

I've had my Cingular Treo 680 since the day before US Thanksgiving and I'm very happy with it. I consider it an upgrade to my two year old 650, which always suffered from a lack of RAM. It seems speedier, and brighter, and the camera doesn't suck; having said that, if I want to take pix I'll want to print, I'll use my EOS! Cameras in phones have never been a big deal to me....however, the phone IS better...for the first time in memory, my cellphone works in my steel-clad house in the boondocks. Now THAT's a big deal to me.

[dan @ Nov 25th 2006 10:50PM]

i want one

[xbit @ Nov 26th 2006 1:49PM]

"speed difference between edge and wifi wont be noticeable since the treo only has a 300mhz processor."

Well my Nokia E61 has a 220Mhz CPU and I can tell the difference between EDGE, UMTS and 802.11g WiFi very easily. EDGE is painfully slow and if Nokia can pack it into a cheap smartphone then I don't see why Palm can't.

[oki @ Nov 27th 2006 12:46AM]

I guess you may be right, maybe palm just needs to work on the way it handles its downloading content, anyone here try 750 besides the 680?

[grahamhgreen @ Nov 26th 2006 6:49PM]

Not much of an upgrade for the GSM 650 owner, but for those of us who have been holding out for a real upgrade from our ageing GSM 600's, this phone is rock solid. What I mean is everything it does it does well - including the seemingly lame VGA camera which takes great photos in low light, even in dark rooms like a strip-club (perhaps, I'm not sure, my friend told me about it). The big downside is that it doesn't have wi-fi, or hspda (3 G).

Some of the Windows based smart-phones seem to do it all, however, my last foray into windows pocket pc phone edition proved to me that it was not yet a one-handed operating system. And WM5 is truly the rubicks cube of smart phones.

[Frank McCright @ Nov 30th 2006 8:03PM]

Just curious...what exactly makes this an "entry level" Treo? When you check the comparison chart, it has all the same features(maybe more) as the 700. Anyone?

[Rynk @ Dec 4th 2006 6:47PM]

Treo 680 Review is up at PalmInfocenter:

http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/9134/palm-treo-680-review/

[Frank McCright @ Dec 4th 2006 7:26PM]

Received my Crimson unlocked 680 today...upgraded or...down...or sidegraded from a 650. So far...I'm loving it.

[John_Abraham @ Dec 4th 2006 10:17PM]

The Treo 680 is an incredible phone, I got my hands on one last week and I cant put it down. The thing I really liked about my old Treo 650 was the fact that I would learn something new everyday about the phone. The Treo 680 does all of that and more. I don't really need a camera on my phone, neither do I need Wifi. I need to be able to check my emails, use the browser and the calendar for appointments. The integration with the Calendar app and Versamail is out of this world on the 680. The phone app is by far the easiest to handle compared to all the other smartphones in the market. For me, this is the best smartphone out there , it feels great in the hand and it is quite affordable as well. Dont sit and read this comment, go buy one right now!!

[Candy Estacio @ Dec 12th 2006 2:13PM]

I've been a loyal Palm customer since I first got my first Palm III. I do agree with other reviewers that the specs could be better in comparison to other smartphones but I think some people are missing the point. Compare the 680 to my 650, it is much better! The only reason why I'm sticking to Palm is because IT'S NOT A WINDOWS based OS. For all the thinkgs I need, it's perfect. ...Phone, decent camera, email, text messaging, games, email, surfing the next while I'm waiting in line, ... basics.

[gibsbe @ Jan 29th 2007 10:40AM]

I've just completed my first month with a 680. Having read this and other reviews along with the comments I'm amased. This phone is 200% better than my 650 - and more importantly - it was out of the box - not after 6 months of hell until I finally patched to a level of stability.

The user experience is so much better than a 650 it does not compare. It is yet to crash - no really! Reception is also beyond compare between the 2 models again would rate as over 200% inprovement. In fact in a months solid usage, the only thing I can fault it on is the inability to disconnect from the internet in either web or mail.

For me - this phone has also highlighted for me how careful you need to be when using the internet to review a gadget. If you believe the initial comments, you would think this phone is a version 2 upgrade to the 650. The reality is that this IS a smart phone and a damn good one - something the 650 could only dream of being.

[Mike Ang @ Feb 6th 2007 2:57AM]

I've been a faithful supporter of Palm when it was still called Palm Pilot. I have the first PDA w/ 512k of ram and I've been upgrading my PDA as new ones come on line but with this 680 even the 750v I feel left out. I don't know why Palm insist on not including wifi and better specs. I'm actually thinking of switching to another smart phone. This really drives me up the walls.

[oki @ Nov 25th 2006 9:50PM]

I was testing the 680 in august, testing and all. The reasoning for not having wifi was generally with having the option of EDGE anywhere you have signal its better than wifi. speed difference between edge and wifi wont be noticeable since the treo only has a 300mhz processor. They also found a camera that can take pictures in dark and quickly in any situation, compared to such as the 700p if u've tried taking a picture. its shutter speed is terrible. Processor speed has to stay low for battery saving. thats mostly why for what they did

[Erik the Red @ Nov 27th 2006 2:34AM]

I second (or third) that. What is the deal with Palm not including WiFi, nor upgrading the OS? I, too, have been a loyal Palm customer, but this is wearing thin: it is as if they have so little respect for their own customers that they figure a bunch of patches, coupled with a version number increase, are enough to justify another few hundred dollar expenditure.
Seems like Palm is taking a few pages out of Microsoft's playbook.