PalmOS
Latest
Updates coming any day now for AT&T's Treo 680 and 750?
AT&T Treo 750 owners have been waiting patiently (or not so patiently, as the case may be) for an update to Windows Mobile 6 seemingly since Earth was a hot, lifeless mass of molten lava -- and thankfully, it seems that wait might be drawing to a close. TreoCentral's forums have turned up what appears to be a legit slide deck from within AT&T detailing software upgrades for both the 750 and the Palm OS-based 680, with the former getting the aforementioned Windows Mobile 6 Professional, 1.8Mbps HSDPA, Cellular Video, AT&T Mail, AT&T Music, MobiTV, TeleNav, and a refreshed active call display. The 680 gets boosted with PTT support, MP3 ringtone capability, TeleNav, MobiTV, and instant messaging. The slides list October 15 as the rollout date for the 750 update -- a date which has obviously come and gone, so we're holding out the naive belief that we'll see it pretty much any minute now. The 680, meanwhile, allegedly gets hooked up on the 22nd. Here's hoping![Via Palm Infocenter]
Verizon lays out upcoming smartphone lineup; Samsung i760 comes first
No surprises in the mix here, but we're delighted to see that Verizon is finally getting official with four smart devices that have been rumored to be in its pipeline for ages. Of the four, only the i760 from Samsung's been priced and slated for release -- October 19 online, November 2 in stores for $350 on contract after rebates -- featuring Windows Mobile 6 Professional, QWERTY slide-out and offset numeric keypads, and a 1.3 megapixel camera. The XV6800 succeeds the tired XV6700, going up against Sprint's Mogul by offering the HTC Titan reference design in a custom Verizon skin; it shows up with a 2 megapixel cam, WiFi, and a full QWERTY keyboard. Already released on several CDMA carriers, the HTC Libra sees the light of day on Verizon as the SMT5800 bearing Windows Mobile 6 Standard and a 2 megapixel cam (we loved the Libra's GSM cousin, and we're guessing this one's great too). Finally, make some noise, Palm OS fans -- it's okay, don't be shy! Verizon finally gets down with the Treo 755p, a phone that could ultimately serve as the platform's swan song in the classic Treo form factor. As we mentioned, only the i760 has been priced and dated at this point, but we'll keep ya in the loop just as soon as we know more.
Is this Verizon's PDA line-up for November?
With the holidays right around the corner, carriers will pull out all the stops to attract new customers and Verizon's no exception to the rule. First up, it's the Motorola's elusive Q9c -- cousin to the Q9m -- outfitted with a 1.3 megapixel camera, expandable memory via miniSD, 128MB of RAM and 64MB of ROM, Windows Mobile 6 Standard, and Bluetooth 2.0. Next up, it's UTStarcom's QWERTY-sliding SMT5800. The device will rock a 1xEV-DO Rev. A radio (which unfortunately looks like it will be held to Rev. 0 at launch), 2 megapixel shooter, microSD support, 128MB of RAM and 64MB of ROM, Windows Mobile 6 Standard, and Bluetooth 2.0. UTStarcom looks to finally bring the XV6800 running WM6 Professional, too -- but sadly, it will also have the EV-DO Rev. A radio downgraded to Rev. 0 at launch. Rounding out the November launch schedule is the Palm Treo 755p, trailing Sprint by a country mile, but Palm OS faithful are probably thinking it's better to launch this one late than never. Let's hope these dates stick, yeah?[Thanks, HTC Kid]%Gallery-8629%
Palm Centro review
Okay, now we know what you're thinking. Sure, we (lovingly) raked Palm over the coals in our open letter to the company, and yeah, we haven't been the sweetest of hearts to the crew from Sunnyvale (with good reason, of course). However, If you've paid attention to our past good-intentioned prodding, then you'll know that getting our hands on a new Palm device still gives some of us geeky chills.After seeing scores of "leaked" photos of the Centro, and hearing enough internet chatter about the device to make your brain vibrate like a tightly-wound piano string, actually getting our hands on the phone was honestly a bit of a surprise, both bad and good. We're going to break it down piece by piece and hopefully give you a rounded impression of the smartphone crown-chaser (or at least princess-in-waiting).
Palm Centro unboxing
The kind folks at Palm have sent us over a brand-spanking-new Centro to take for a spin, and we'd thought we'd share that special moment when a phantasmagorical waking dream becomes cold, hard, metallic reality. At a first glance, it's pretty clear that the $99.99 price point will leave you hungry for accessories if you sink your teeth into the Sprint-only (for now) phone, as the box has the bare minimum included -- they don't even throw in a cheap set of earbuds. Other than that it's pretty standard fare. Check the gallery for all the views (including a size comparison with the Treo 750, so you can see how they stack up), and stay tuned for a thorough review.%Gallery-8406%
Palm Centro unboxed at Engadget Mobile
Love Palm? Love the Centro? Love unboxings? Well, it's your lucky day, because we've got a lean, mean, eye-shattering gallery going on over at Engadget Mobile, featuring a full-on unboxing of the new Palm / Sprint entry. Direct your browsers this way, and prepare to have an out-of-body experience.
Palm's Ed Colligan confirms: no new Palm OS till end of 2008
Just in case you missed the mention in our post about Palm's Q1 FY08 conference call, or the earlier report about the company's new OS getting more delays, take notice: Ed Colligan did indeed confirm that we won't be seeing a new operating system on Palm devices until the end of next year. Of course, with a track record like this crew has, we're not holding our breath, and would seriously suggest you follow suit.Read -- Palm admits new OS 18 months awayRead -- Colligan Talks About Next Generation Palm OS Progres
Palm's Ed Colligan hypes new OS to investors
Our main man Ed Colligan is on the scene once again, this time giving some serious lip service to investors on the future of Palm and its "upcoming" new OS. According to reports, Ed informed the the crew of dudes and dudettes (via the company's Q1 FY08 conference call) that the Centro systems team and Foleo engineers are "totally focused" on delivering the Linux-based OS (Palm's in-house work, not ACCESS's ALP), and announced that it will be available by the end of the next calendar year. Fleshing out his bold statements, Colligan noted that the new platform will retain the ease of use and developer support of the badly ailing current Palm OS, and that it will enable the company to deliver the UI across various products, including Foleo-like devices. The Palm honcho went on to say that development has gone, "As well as possibly could be expected," and added that the company has no plans to hand over the smartphone market to anyone else, telling investors that its next generation of products will be "revolutionary device types." Just like Fox Mulder, we want to believe -- but it's going to take a lot more than honeyed words to hold our interest, Ed. Hey -- feel free to invite us over to the pad for some hands-on.
Hands-on with the Palm Centro
Shortly after Ed Colligan himself talked up Palm's latest Palm OS-based handset, we had the opportunity to check it out. It's small, it's bright red (or black, if that's your thing), and it's got a speedy EV-DO connection -- but is it the best Palm OS device ever? Check it out!
Sprint ups the Palm Centro teaser: $99 on October 14
Sprint just brought up their Palm Centro site and with it, a few more details to make the dealio all official-io. The "world's smallest Palm device" will cost you $100 beans after $100 mail-in rebate, minimum $25 data plan, and two year commitment to Sprint (and Garnet) when it launches on October 14th. We're also seeing a choice of a candy-red finish for the first time if black is a bit too staid for your tastes. Perhaps we'll hear a little more later today when the DigitalLife show kicks off in New York.[Thanks, Conrad A-B.]
Palm's new OS getting more delays?
The hits just don't seem to be stopping for Palm these days. In the last few weeks we've watched the Foleo debacle unravel, seen the underwhelming Treo 500v announcement, and gotten word that the Elevation Partners partial sale has gone through (a small ray of light, really) -- but it appears we're not done yet. According to a scathing report in The Guardian, Palm is now projecting a 12- to 18-month wait on the new, Linux-based version of its OS (Palm OS II to you and me), which is a considerable extension compared to the dates we heard back in July (which, of course, were just more delays in a long line of empty promises), and puts the oft-hindered software closer to a 2009 release. No offense guys, but you've been talking about this OS for about five years, all while Windows Mobile, RIM, and Symbian have lapped you... repeatedly. Maybe you can get the open source community to lend a hand? They're quite crafty.[Via Brighthand]
More Palm Centro details leaked for Sprint
The cats at the Morning Paper claim to have a piece of marketing collateral which spills, or at least, reshuffles the beans on the Palm Centro for Sprint. EV-DO, check. Palm OS (Garnet), check. Touch-screen, check (obviously). Really, the only things we haven't seen before is the list of Sprint services it'll be packing: Sprint TV, On Demand, IM, Mobile Email, and Google maps in the slimmest Treo, er Palm OS device yet. But Garnet on a Q4 2007 Palm release? Puh-lease.[Thanks, Sheldon]
Palm Centro action shots emerge
Hot off the French press, we bring you brand-spanking-new pictures of Palm's next smartphone: the Centro. Here you see the new entry in its natural habitat, running the tired, tired Palm OS, with what appears to be zero changes in either looks or functionality. Come on guys -- you couldn't even update the graphics a little bit? Of note here otherwise is its striking similarity in size to the BlackBerry Pearl (obviously not a coincidence), and the fact that Palm is bringing over the 680's phone app, which hasn't surfaced on any other Treo yet (including the post-680 entry, the 755p). It's a start -- but you've got to lose that white finish.[Thanks, Cellenin]
Telus launches Palm Treo 755p
You've got company, Sprint! It may not be available with Verizon just yet, but Palm has found another carrier to launch its newest and shiniest Garnet-based Treo, the 755p. This time around, Canada's Telus plays host, offering the device for $229.99 Canadian (about $217) on a whopping three-year contract (yes, we know three-year contracts are the norm in Canada, but our jaw still drops a little every time we hear it). Meanwhile, folks looking to rock out contract-free may do so for $549.99 Canadian, a shade over $519. The device is a Canadian exclusive for Telus, so don't bother looking elsewhere if you're north of the border and Garnet is your poison of choice.[Via Slashphone]
Sprint's roadmap for remainder of '07 outed, too?
Following a thorough run-through of Verizon's plans for the rest of the year, this broader peep into Sprint's near future than we've seen before -- if real, anyway -- means that we now pretty much know everything there is to know about the wide world of CDMA here in the States for the next few months. It's a warm, fuzzy feeling, ain't it? Anyway, let's have a look: Palm is said to come swinging in with two, the 500 on the low end with a $99 price point on October 14 and an 800w ("w" stands for Windows Mobile 6 here, friends) up top -- though the latter doesn't grace shelves until Q1 of '08. Novatel gets down with an updated version of the U720 dubbed U727 (what else?) come September 30. Sanyo meanwhile should add the S1 candybar to replace the SCP-4930 on October 14, but November 4 is allegedly when things really start to heat up. That day should bring the LG LX260, RIM BlackBerry Pearl 2, HTC Vogue, and the UTStarcom PX-00, a low-cost Rev A data card to replace the PX-500. The Motorola Q9c -- possibly with GSM international roaming -- should drop by a little later in November, while a dual-mode CDMA / GSM rendition of the Samsung BlackJack replaces the IP-830w early next year. Again, this is all unconfirmed, but it seems plausible enough. We'll throw up any corroborating info as we get it.[Via Slashphone]
Engadget chats up Palm's follies
We love you Palm, we really do -- but lately you've just been making it so darned hard. What's gotten us so worked up? Check out our open letter to the makers of the one and only Foleo over on Engadget!
Sprint event showcases CDMA Touch, LG Rumor, and more
If you've been patiently awaiting details about, well, a whole slew of handsets, chances are that a recent Sprint event held the answers to a-many of those very questions. First up was the Palm Centro (also coined Gandolf and Treo 800), which you've already seen plenty of earlier today. Moving on, the Sprint Touch (read: CDMA) was said to be rockin' a potent 400MHz CPU, and it also touted EV-DO, 128MB of RAM, a two-megapixel camera, built-in GPS "to be activated in a Rev A upgrade," and a likely launch date in November. Furthermore, an EV-DO BlackBerry Pearl was on display along with a "petite candybar" from Sanyo, the sliding LG Rumor, and the Sprint Airave home cell site (once known as the Samsung Ubicell). We know you're craving the dirt on all of the aforementioned gizmos, so be sure and hit the read link for the full skinny.
Verizon's roadmap for remainder of '07 gets liberated
phoneArena scored a wealth -- nay, a veritable cornucopia of information detailing Verizon's releases for the rest of 2007, and we can say with some confidence that there's something in here for everyone. Starting with smartphones, SMT5800, XV6800, Samsung i760, and Motorola Q9m should hit in October, October, September, and August (yay, this month!) respectively. A second, business oriented variant of the Q9, dubbed the Q9c, will follow on in the fourth quarter. If Windows Mobile ain't your cup of tea, have a gander at the Palm Treo 755p and RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 (pictured), both coming in November. There isn't much to say about the 755p that hasn't already been said, but the 8130 is indeed a Pearl of the "new" variety, upping the cam to 2 megapixels while adding A2DP and a 3.5mm jack. Turning to dumbphones, Verizon's got the full spread from low to high end. The Samsung U410, self-branded CDM-8630 and LG VX8350 all appear to be pretty simple flips coming some time this half of the year. The Motorola Z6c looks to be a MediaFLO-less version of the Z6tv slider; the former drops in November while the latter is nebulously scheduled for the second half. Finally, the fancy U700 and U900 flips from Samsung offer 2 and 3 megapixel cams, respectively, and will both be available before the year's out. Whew!
New ACCESS Linux Platform screenshots emerge
For those still remotely interested in the ACCESS Linux Platform, we applaud you, and to reward you for your faith, ACCESS has reportedly launched a web portal chock-full of new screenshots from the forthcoming ALP. Admittedly, a few of the captures look mighty similar to those we saw back in February, but the new "User Experience" demonstration vividly depicts the screens found when visiting your Contacts, Photos, Music Player, Dialer, Home / Incoming Call screens, and Launcher. Go on, hit up the gallery for some high-resolution footage.[Via Treonauts]%Gallery-5845%
Palm pulls faulty updates for Verizon's Treo 700p/w/wx
Responding to an apparent groundswell of customer complaints, Palm has pulled recent software updates for its Treo 700p, 700w, and 700wx smartphones operating on the Verizon network. Palm calls the problems "network connectivity issues," frequently accompanied by an Error 3000 that prevents the device from consuming data. For what it's worth, Palm says that the error "does not affect your device or personal data in any other way," though we imagine that's little consolation for folks finding themselves without email access following an update. The company promises to repost the patches once the problems are worked out; no ETA has been given at this point.[Via Brighthand]
