In the early days, I bought my first Personal Digital Assistant called the Psion series 3. After a while, I upgraded to the Psion series 5, then on to the Palm Pilot - I was in geek heaven. A few years later, I upgraded to the Palm 3x and eventually on to the Palm 515. This week, I purchased a gadget that would make Captain Kirk glow green with Vulcan envy.
PLEASE NOTE: This phone with Verizon's service is wonderful and rated 5 stars. This phone with Cingular has way too many bugs and should be bypassed no matter what any magazine or website says. TRUST ME. I rate it 2.5 stars with Cingular.
This technologically-advanced powerhouse makes this Virgo ooze with glee. In fact, I traded in my week-old Nokia 6820 for the Treo 650. It's one part organizer, one part quad-band cell phone, one part digital still camera, one part digital video camera, one part MP3 player, one part web browser, one part text messenger, one part email and IM communicator, one part voice recorder and one part sweet Bluetooth toy.
First off, let me share where to buy this $599 phone for $299.99. Go to www.wirefly.com. They have all sorts of deals with activation and many with rebates - (since writing this review, you can find it even cheaper).
In The Box: The Treo 650 smartphone, a SIM card, a battery, the manual, USB sync cable, software CD, a headset and an AC charger.
As a cell phone, I'll give it a 2.5 out of 5 stars. There is a fixed antenna - nothing to break. While it is considerably larger than typical cell phones of today, I find it more comfortable when wedging it between your shoulder and ear. I would HIGHLY recommend using a headset (Bluetooth or wired) to limit the accidental meetings of phone vs. concrete. For those who have a tough time seeing tiny keys up close, a larger keypad will appear on the screen and the keys are just about large enough to use your fingers to dial. Then again, for people you call more frequently, you can set up their numbers with voice dialing or hot key dialing. Another great feature, is the phone's ability to conference in SIX people on one call.
For incoming calls, there are scads of pre-installed ringtones for your musical pleasure. You may also download ringtones for even more fun. In addition, you can use MP3 files and your own voice as ringtones. Nothing says fun, like hearing, "Answer the phone, ya dope" when your phone rings.
As a camera, I'll give it a 4 out of 5 stars. My first real complaint is the lack of a flash. I wanted a camera in my phone for two reasons. In case I get into an auto accident, I could take pictures of the damage. And when at work, I can shoot pictures of options for my co-workers and email them so that decisions could be made even faster. Mind you, that sending pictures can get pricey, so make sure to get a media package that enables you to pay a little up front for picture sending, text messaging and web browsing. The display is large and displays 65,000 colors so the quality is there... even if it's only a 1.3 megapixel camera. But there are only a few cameras that boast 2.0 megapixels. You also have the option of shooting the pictures in two different pixel rates. The higher setting allows fewer shots on the disc. I was amazed how close up I could get before the image was blurry.
As a PDA, I'll give it a 4.75 out of 5 stars. The reason it's not a five star PDA? There is no place to write "Grafitti" on the screen. There is, however, third party software to remedy this issue. For most, the backlit keys are tiny. I have thick fingers, so I find using my fingernails a bit easier. Anyone familiar with the Palm OS will quickly navigate this part of the phone. In fact, transferring my information was simple via the IR port. You can also swap info via an SD card or via your PC - but the PC method is a bit arduous. Being able to organize your phone numbers and your calendar then set your appointments with alarms is a huge plus. You can even remind yourself to put money in the meter. How much will that save you?
As a web surfer, I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. However, with the optional Wi-Fi card, it would be a 5 star rating. It's great to be able to use satellites to surf the web, but it is VERY slow. I find that bookmarking the sites you use the most, makes it faster the next time you visit that particular site. Keep in mind that you are charged by the kilobyte and with a media package, you are allowed between 3 and 5 kilobytes per month.
As a text messenger and emailer, I give it a 5 out of 5 stars. While it's true that you can access your Yahoo or AOL mail, AOL users have the option of buying the AOL 3.3 for the Treo 650 ($19.95). This will enable the user to see buddy lists and interact with friends even easier. Although you can't enter chatrooms or see embedded pictures. AOL folks can sign up (free) to forward your IMs via your mobile phone. This is great if your friends want to IM you, yet is tough to see who is online and tougher to initiate the IM yet doesn't cost anything.
As an MP3 player, I'll give it a 4.50 out of 5 stars. The only limiter is the size of your SD card. If you buy a 2 gig card, you can take many songs with you. The included music player is Real Player. One sore spot is that Real Player will NOT play WMA files. I find that renaming the files to .MP3 makes them play just fine on the Treo. There are many other third party MP3 players available - even ones that allow WMA files to be played on the Treo. The other sore spot is the fact that the output hole is not the standard size. You'll need to purchase Palmone's adapter for around $9 in order to be able to plug in stereo headphones. I'd bet that Radio Shack has a less expensive alternative as well. They even make stereo headphones that double as phone headsets.
Accessories I suggest: A car charger, a LARGE capacity SD card for storing pictures, music and contact info, a Bluetooth headset, a case, a screen protector, a stereo headset adapter. Palm also makes a stereo headset for music that also doubles as a phone headset. You can find these accessories at www.palmone.com, www.wirelessground.com, ebay or most electronics places. After I bought my "Mobo" case I found that the PalmOne case (that holds your Treo sideways) is the best-made and most convenient. I bought both cases from WirelessGround.com.
If you need Wi-Fi communication, there is an available Wi-Fi card that slides into the SD slot. The card is around $125 and the monthly service is about $20. While this does speed up web browsing, it only works at "hot spots."
I just purchased Palmone's "Treo" Bluetooth headset for $79.99 at the Palmone store in Century City, California. It's feather light, enables the user to answer, disconnect and make calls with voice dialing. It can redial last number, reject an incoming call, take a second call with call waiting and put a call on hold. It also has volume buttons. I chose this headset due to the total compatibility with the Treo 650. It has virtually NO static during calls and a really clear sound.
For those of you who don't know what Bluetooth is... It's a wireless signal that connects Bluetooth accessories to each other. For instance, a Bluetooth PDA can send data to a Bluetooth-enabled printer, a Bluetooth enabled phone can utilize newer vehicles that are Bluetooth enabled by letting the user hear the other side of the conversation through the vehicles speakers much in the same way that OnStar works. The limit is the radius of coverage. Most Bluetooth can reach the maximum of 33 feet as of this date.
Things I love: I love that the backlit keyboard can be set up NOT to be active - when putting the Treo into a case this is a plus. The IR port made sending my phonebook very easy from my Palm 515 to the Treo 650. I also love that you can turn off the phone and use the PDA exclusively - this is great for air travel and business meetings. I love that this quad-band phone will work all over the world.
Things I DON'T like: The phone SUCKS. It reboots itself constantly. I had voicemail issues. See (below) how I solved these bugs. I think that people with large or thick fingers might not like the tiny keys on the QWERTY keyboard. I find using my fingernails helps tremendously. I'm also not terribly crazy about the fact that when I get done making a call (with the handset next to my ear), the screen gets sweat all over it. Finally, the Treo bogs down if you put too much into its small internal drive. At a mere 23 mb, it fills up quickly. I suggest (at least) a 128MB SD card, but if you'd like to store some MP3s and some pictures or video...I would go for the 1 or 2 gig cards.
I'm also not fond of the fact that while on the phone, other programs are not accessible. Let's say that your caller needs a number, you'd have to end the call, look it up and call back. I wish I could access my phone book while on the phone. That is annoying. Of course, if I'm home, I can access Palm's desktop and get the number. I mean, if I start an mp3 song in Real Player, I can hit the home key and access any other function I wish. If I decide to make a call, it'll even mute the music until I end the call. That's GREAT.
KNOWN PROBLEMS Please make sure that your SIM card is an "A" series card and NOT a "G" series card. The "G" series does not work properly with the Treo 650. All carriers will swap it out for you - free of charge. If you look at the SIM card, there is either an A or a G in the serial number on the card.
The other problem with the Treo 650, is the software it comes with. If your Treo 650 comes with software version 1.02, you'll need to download the 1.08 for Verizon or 1.04 version for Cingular at Palmone's website. Version 1.02 creates voice mail problems and a few other issues including random rebooting.
SPECS:
Quad band; 850,900,1800,1900 - GSM/GPRS/EDGE worldphone
Up to 6 hours of talk time with 300 hours of stand by time
Palm OS 5.4
battery: removable Lithium Ion
up to 6 hours of talk time and 300 hours of standby time
processor: Intel PXA270 312Mhz
radio: GPRS class 10, class B, also supports CSD,
EDGE technology up to 170kbps
320x320 pixels TFT color display
built-in VGA digital still and video camera
removable battery
full QWERTY keyboard with 5-way navigator
convenient switch for ring and vibrate/silent modes
speakerphone
infrared port (IR) communication
SD/multimedia card slot (SD I/O compatible)
size: 4.4 inches x 2.3 inches x 0.9 inches with antenna
weight: 6.3 ounces
screen: touch sensitive LCD 65,536 colors (16 bit)
headset jack is 2.5 mm
phone is TTY compatible
FEATURES:
integrated MMS/SMS messaging.
Email applications: POP3 / IMAP4, Microsoft Exchange for corporate email and calendar sync.
Suport for Cingular Xpress Mail service.
Video and still picture application.
Browser: WAP / HTML.
Realplayer MP3 player.
DataViz Documents To Go.
download games and applications.
desktop sync
MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
Windows 2000 or XP
Mac OS 10.2 - 10.3
30 MB free space
CD ROM drive
USB port
UPDATE: 4/16/05 Ok, so I bought a 1 gig SD card. I uploaded 88 songs and about 60 pictures to it and have over half of the card empty. I played with the Real Player song lists because I could actually fit many more songs on this card. Yes, you can organize the songs into song lists, but there is no way to edit titles or info once it's on the card. It all has to be done on the computer side before syncing it up with the Treo.
MP3 sound quality: I did an audio listening test between my Treo and my MP3 Player and I have to say, I did notice a slight muddy quality to the Treo's mp3 playback. Don't get me wrong, with a decent pair of headphones, the sound is great...just not as good as my MP3 player.
The drop test: I was at an indoor swap meet last weekend. I pulled out my Treo 650 and it caught the lid of my case and slipped out of my fingers. I watched in HORROR as it headed for the concrete floor beneath me. Mind you, it did have a very thin layer of vinyl flooring on the hard surface. Upon impact I muttered, "Oh sh*t!" The back flew off, the battery ejected and it landed on its face. I was scared to pick it up. I was sure it had either cracked its screen or had some ugly gash on its body. To my amazement, nothing happened at all! It works fine and has not even a scratch on it. Lucky? Naw, PalmOne's Treo 650 is built like a champ! (It doesn't hurt that I have the insurance either)
If you'd like to know more about the Bluetooth headset I purchased for this phone, click this link PalmOne Treo Bluetooth Headset.
UPDATE:
For months, I've been having issues with retrieving my voicemail on the Treo 650. After ALL this time, I finally got someone who told me why. The Treo is very sensitive and you CAN'T be on speakerphone when getting voicemail. Either hold it up to your ear or use a headset. All this time and no one knew to tell me this?
UPDATE 7/28/05:
There's an update available for the Treo 650. I installed it and it saved over 10 megs of space on the hard drive. It seems that the memory allocation is vastly improved.
UPDATE 8/5/05: READ THIS
For anyone with a Treo 650, you need to listen to this. I have experienced automatic reboots and freezes - and I came up with a great solution to this mystery. The problem is that the SIM card loses connection with it's connection for various reasons. Sometime just gripping the body of the phone or variation in temperature will cause the body to flex. The SIM card needs to make a better connection. Cut a piece of paper or a small piece of a screen saver - about the size of the lower 2/3 of the SIM card holder. If you slide this paper in about half way into the SIM card opening THEN slide the SIM card in, the paper will force the SIM card to keep a connection, thus stopping most of not ALL of the problems concerning reboots and such. Good luck!
UPDATE 10/4/05:
Ok, so I'm on my FIFTH Treo 650. I guess they keep getting buggier. I have been having so many problems with dropped calls, reboots, freezes and phone shut-offs - that I got them to send me another phone. I hear that the Treo 700 is due out soon, so they told me that I probably qualify for a free upgrade to that when it hits. Please hurry. I changed my rating from 5 stars to 3 eventhough I love the PDA, MP3 player & camera, I HATE the phone and all its BUGS.
UPDATE 11/28/05
Cingular sent me a new SIM card holder. Seems the tape idea caught on and they altered their SIM holder to keep more pressure on the connection. So far, I notice no real change.
I have been on the phone over the last few weeks and demanding that Cingular give me a different phone. The HP 5615 looks cool, but they refuse to let me trade for that phone. And now, they are saying that, even though one of their managers OK'd the trade for the new Palm Treo 700, they are reneging on that promise.
UPDATE 12/7/05
I finally did it. I switched to Verizon. I could not take any more drama with this phone or Cingular. I got the Audiovox PPC 6600 because neither the Treo 700 or the PPC 6700 have come to Verizon yet. The 700 is due any day now and the 6700 is due in the Spring of 2006.
UPDATE 7/26/07:
I got the 6700 and MAN is it a great phone. Please read my review of it HERE
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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