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.























This smartphone intrigues me. Can't wait for the full review
I had a 755p from sprint they told me that this would be comperable to my old ppc6700 minus the os. I had palm devices in the past so that did not bother. I got the unit and loved it for about half of a month i went on a business trip and started getting phone calles from people that i was not responding to their emails. I get on average 350+ emails a week so I had them set up in exchange to go to folders and palm cant sync folders.
That is a big step that palm needs to make
i love my new ppc6800
To me, adding earbuds to gadgets is a complete waste. I have like 10 pairs of junk earbuds sitting around my house. Palm made the right decision to leave 'em out.
Great pictures, Josh. Looks like the black finish is a smooth, glossy finish instead of the rubbery soft-touch finish a lot of phones have nowadays. Is it slippery?
It would have been nice if it was a bit wider for a larger keyboard and screen (same size as the Treo). They wouldn't need to make the Centro taller to accommodate the Treo screen, because there's extra space below the screen.
But I understand they were going for a certain price point.
No SD Flash Card Slot?
There's a micro-sd card slot on the side of the phone, as shown in the photo gallery.
All you need is a microSD adapter to use microSD cards in an SD card reader.
Here's one photo with the slot plainly visible:
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/gallery/palm-centro-unboxing-1/433532/
when is this going to go on sale, and is the $99 after all those rebates that take forever to get back to you?
I wonder how it is with Mac OS X sync...
If it's as bad as Palms last attempt at Sync'ing with Macs, then it should be a pretty horrific experience at best.
Seems to sync fine with my Mac.
Mind throwing this thing next to a Dash / iPhone / Blackjack for some comparison pics for size??
You guys should start placing a ruler next to items in these pictures so we can get an idea of the scale. I know I can look up the dimensions, but it would be nice to just look at your picks and see how big an item is.
I'm in love! Too bad I just renewed my contract for a 8525. Maybe I'll cancel it...
is the camera any good? is it 1.3 or 2.0 megapixels?
1.3Mpx and it's got no Zoom nor autofocus. Just an average camera.
I just held one yesterday for about 5 minutes ... it's smaller than the Treos ... but it's the same round heavy gumpy device with the weird docking port and charging port on the bottom.
Keyboard is usable. You have to take the battery cover off to access the MicroSD slot that is on the SIDE of the phone. Bad design.
This phone isn't anything new ... they literally just threw a treo in the dryer on high for 4 hours and shrank it. The stylis was cheap and didn't slide in and out very well. Call button layout is good and the directional pad is quite usable.
But like i said it's the same round LAME Treo form factor. Lame tiny square screen. It has a very sharp resolution though.
But for $200 minus $100 mail-in in rebate it's probably worth it.
The keyboard is actually quite usable, as shown on this video on Brighthand:
http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=13377
I went to the Sprint store to replace my beloved Treo 650 with the Centro, only to discover that the phone doesn't drop until the 14th. A Sprint rep coaxed me into trying a Moto Q as an interim phone until the Centro arrived. The Q is a poorly designed, flimsy piece of junk with zero battery life. Motorola couldn't even center the screen on the device. Additionally, the Windows Mobile OS is complex, slow, and freezes frequently; the "aging" Palm OS is simple, snappy, and can be easily navigated with one hand.
I'm counting the minutes until my Centro arrives...
looked great until I saw the stylus ... touch screens are yesterdays technology.
"touchscreens are yesterdays technology"
I suppose that means the iPhone is obsolete...
This shite is fugly, not to mention cheap and I don't mean a bargain. Just more garbage for the cell phones' apparently bottoless trash barrel.
Dinky screen, tiny keys thumbboard, chunky styling - this device is Palm's effort to appeal to younger users - but they've undershot.
Fisher-Price meets the Firefly....
I think it's not a bad deal for the price. But why can't palm release the Palm OS and Windows Mobile OS versions of the phone at the same time. Why is there always a long time inbetween the release of the different OS's.
Bluetooth 1.2... in 2007? pathetic :\
I got to play with one of these a few weeks ago at the digitallife nerdfest in NYC. I must say, I was pretty impressed with the Centro. The touchscreen was super crisp and easy to see, and even with my hot dog-like fingers, I didn't have any issues with the keyboard. The guy running the display allowed me to put it in my pocket, and it wasn't bad at all. I don't know if it will convert any blackberry owners to convert, but I think the $99 price will convince a lot of regular-phone people to consider it. If Verizon had it right now, I would get it.
Now if only they gave this thing bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi, that new OS they said is in the works, and made it on telus or rogers for us Canadians, i would get it in a heartbeat. In 2007 you just need to up the ante Palm, but alas they do not. oh well
Its about twice as thick as it should be. Send it back to 2005, it will do well there.
You should look up "Missing Sync". I am using an old version, but it works pretty well with my Palm. It's a pay program though.
Just picked up a Centro today to replace my Treo 700p. My work makes me have a (really cheap) cell phone and I used the 700p for personal use. Got tired of how big the Treo is when carrying 2 phones, but I LOVE everything else about it (internet, email, calendar, syncing, etc.). The Centro is the perfect size for my pants pocket. When I first saw the pictures, I didn't really like the style, but once you get it in your hand and feel how small it is, it really grows on you. And for $100This 40 year old says thumbs up for the new Centro!!
anyone know how to make songs you add on into a ringtone?