Palm Treo 680 Review Part 1: Introduction

I'm looking forward to the Treo 680. It doesn't need to be light years better than the 650 - just better. I bought my 650 from Palm while still an AT&T customer - so I'm Cingular Blue and now can't use Office Online anymore because Cingular stopped supporting it. To use ExpressMail I need to change phones - but why make a lateral move to another 650 when a new version is just around the corner? Glad to see the corner is just ahead and look forward to learning from your posts.

Just got my Cingular 680 yesterday (1 of 2 they had at my dealer in the Quakerbridge Mall in NJ). I know I played with it a LOT today (demos at T-Day dinner) but it seemed like the battery life may be a bit less than my trusty 650. Anyone else with reporst welcome. I also miss my combo Palm Pen Stylus...as reported elsewhere, the 650 styli are incompatible with the slot in the 680. Otherwise, this thing kicks butt while web browsing and downloading apps!

@ andrew - dude, 4 680's? planning to make a little cash on the side? wanna sell the copper one? ;)

I think that I would be amongst those who will not upgrade to 680. Given that a new firmware will be made available early 2007, the only reason that I will change is to satisfy my innerself. The external SIM card holder is an important feature for me, As a regular traveller,I swap sim cards very often, removing the battery each time will be an annoying exercise. Although the antenna is obviously big, but it is a safeguard protection when the phone drops. The phone dropped several time, but lucky it felt on the antenna. On the same line, the position of the memory card isnt well secured, when the phone drops, chances that the memory will fly is high. It has happened to me several times....(inthe car) //I love Palm OS, and 'm patiently waiting for a Palm OS 3G, meanwhile my treo 650 is serving me v well.

I considered waiting for the 750p (yes, I know it hasn't been announced) but my Treo 650 is dying so I need a replacement asap. Already ordered a white one...

With any luck, this 680 will last until the Linux based Treos come out.

Have been a curious follower for years: a wannabe Treonaut if you will. I live in Alberta, (Western Canada) where the local GSM network takes months if not years to offer new Treo models available in US. Every time I want to bite, a new model is announced, you know the drill. In this case the 680 might be a reasonable holding pattern if you have a bunch of the old style SD cards that you can still use. But I don't. So, my question is, would it not make sense for me to hold out for the "real thing" 750. I assume I can get a relative in England to get me an unlocked GSM 750 and that my local GSM network would let me use it. Then I wouldn't have a bunch of full size SD cards from the 680 to throw away. Any news on a Palm OS GSM 750, if ever?

Just ordered my unlocked 680 on wed. cant wait to get it, and am really hoping they start shipping tomorrow. 3 times I have given up the treo (650) for a WM phone (latest being the HTC TyTN).. and while the WM phone(s) had a lot of features and bells and whistles, 3 times now I have sold them and have gone back to the treo (where I think I will finally stay). The treo is just a _special_ phone. Now.. Seido.. PLEASE make an extended battery which im sure we will all buy in a second!

-take care and love your treo.. :)

I'm planning to buy a 680 to replace my trusty 600, but I think I'll wait a few months to be sure the bugs have left the nest.
I'm looking forward to a much better screen, more internal memory, nicer form, and (I hope) better reception here in Europe. Oh, and bluetooth.
Color? That's a tough one.

Have been a Treo 650 user for over a year now, and the only "concrete" advantages the 680 and 700p seem to have over the 650 are 1) more internal memory for applications (which if you are a bit more meticulous and have an SD card for your 650 you can get more than your mileage worth with the 23 mb available...personally the increased amount will probably just breed user sloppiness on how they install and manage apps on their smartphone) and 2) better camera (which if you are using your treo camera as your main camera in your life you have more issues than can be discussed..lol, but the camera on the 650 is more than adequate to take pics of those fun spontaneous moments where no one has a camera, or to take photos of an car accident scene, etc.)

Thus I cannot see the benefit of upgrading to either when I can still make my 650 do whatever the 680 and 700p can do (except for the more than one bluetooth device, but I do not find myself ever needing 2 at a time. I do not use my treo as a GPS solution, Google maps is more than adequate for me, so I have the freedom to use my bluetooth headset).

Now if my 650 were to break or if I was a new customer looking to dive into the Treo world, then by all means I can see why the 680 and 700p are attractive phones. But to upgrade for upgrading sakes, I just dont think the 680 and 700p offer anough of a technological "leap" to make me want to throw out my 650. Just my 2 cents, but either way, I think the Treo line is DA BOMB and are way cooler than anything else out there (motorola Q's and Blackberries, etc)

Happy Turkey Day!

I have to say I'm in the same boat as those who feel there's not a compelling or overwhelming need to dump their 650 for a 680. The low-resolution screen and lack of bluetooth in the 600 made upgrading to the 650 a no-brainer, not to mention improved performance. For those who are still using a 600, I would of course say run, don't walk, to get a 680. However, with my 650 still very much alive and kicking the 680 won't have me losing any sleep. Of course, if you have bucks to blow or someone wants to buy you a nice Christmas present, why not have the best and the latest?

I'm going to keep my Treo 650 for awhile. The new features on the Treo 680 are really not worth upgrading for. Document access is built in on the 680, but I already have the Dataviz applications loaded on my device. Also, Cingular allows users to be on their MediaNet 19.99 plan on the Treo 650. If you upgrade to the Treo 680, you must be on their 39.99 data connect plan. This really doesn;t make a lot of sense, because the data rates on the two phones are very similar - ie the 680 is not a 3G phone. The only thing I really like about the 680 is the antennaless form factor. If my 650 dies a miserable death, then I will obviously upgrade to the 680 :)

Andrew: Thanks for this post. I look forward to the rest of the review.

Couple of things. Not sure if people saw this, but apparently the Library of Congress has lifted the ban on cell phone locks, so one may legally remove the lock on their phone (granted they have the code). Not sure how true it is or what will come of it, but here's the link.

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/

Also, regarding Cingular data plans, I've seemingly learned that while your phone should work with a "lesser" data plan (Medianet, Smartphone Connect), you're not supposed to use it. However, while Cingular could moniter this, they don't do so actively, which makes since given the amount of data that would need to be audited. See link below (thanks to Bob for sending me the link).

www.gadgetech.info/wireless/cingular/data/

Finally, I'll throw in my two cents for all those who are not upgrading. I used to be a Treo 600 user, which I bought in 1/04 (it was handspring at the time). Overall it was a good phone, except one major flaw: it had an internal battery. Once the battery started to go, it interfered with the reception of the phone where callers could hear a humming noise. Unfortunately, I couldn't upgrade to the 650, so I swallowed my pride and went to a dumb phone (Nokia 6102) in 10/05. Now the screen has broke on that one, and instead of replacing it, I'm moving to the 680.

One more question for anyone who can answer it. When you order the 680 through palm you get a Mobile Music Pack for free. Does anyone know what that is?

If you're planning to buy a 680 from Europe, you might want to check out www.expansys.com and then go to your country's site. They have it for 475 euros.
(I have no connection to this site except that I got my 600 from them.)

I take serious issue with the use of the word "upgrade" with respect to the Treo 680. For *most* current Treo users, the 680 is not really an upgrade at all. It's the new, "entry level" Treo. But it certainly doesn't "out-feature" the 650 in any significant way. So while it may be a new model, it's actually a step backwards -- at least for 650 owners. So why do people (including the author of this blog) keep using the word "upgrade" when referring to it?

From Palm:

The Mobile Music Pack includes:
• FREE Palm 1GB Memory Card Add memory to carry even more of your favorite songs, playlists, and podcasts4.
• FREE Palm Hybrid Headset This headset doubles as stereo headphones for your MP3 files.
• FREE Palm Treo 680 Music CD Includes Pocket Tunes™ Deluxe and FREE 30-day trial of Yahoo! Music Unlimited To Go5.

Mark + others not considering the Treo 680 an 'Upgrade' product:

I agree that the Treo 680 may not have hundreds of new features compared to the Treo 650 but I completely maintain that this is a very worthy upgrade. Hopefully the remaining parts of my review will help to adequately demonstrate this.

Cheers, A.

#13 Here is a link to more info about the free Mobile Music Pack. I didn't realize it includes 2.5mm headphones, a CD, & a 1 gig SD card. I have a two gig already, but it will be nice for the wife's Nintendo Wii.

Has anyone heard anything more on the new Treo supporting A2DP out of the box? I downloaded the manual and there is no mention of it. Looks like I need to buy Softick Audio Gateway. I know this phone has less hardware than a lot of people wanted (No Wifi, VGA camera), but why not include the 1 KB Bluetooth file that would enable it? Maybe firmware 1.1 will answer my prayers.

when they say that PTT will be included in a software update do they mean the firmware updates from plam's website or a software update only avialable on the 680's maufactured after it is released?

My 600 is dying. I need a headset just to hear calls (too many "drops" and the mic doesn't work) and I go through too many headsets; I spend so much money buying them that I may as well get a new phone. And I never *did* manage to be able to listen to MP3's through a headset without pressing/holding the "talk button". Despite the Palm OS upgrade, the right headphones, etc. My 600 was bought in '04, right when the 650 came out. I use T-Mobile. Which doesn't support the treo anymore. So I need to buy an unlocked phone.

But I'm hooked. I *need* my Treo; it slices, it dices, it even flambes. I use Pocket Quicken and I'd never know what was going on in my life if I didn't have my calendar. Being able to sync my data and contacts is a life-saver (I'm a freelance designer). My major major problem is I am broke... The 680 is *so* cool looking (and I'm really not a gadget-freak) and I love the "no-antennae" but $500 is a lot of cash. So the questions are:

1.) Do I buy a 650, cuz it's slightly cheaper now that cool new *pretty* 680's are out?

2.) Is eBay a safe alternative to buying a 650? Or should I buy from here :) or directly from Palm--where I can supposedly get $50 back if I trade in the old one?

3.) Can I really just swap out my t-mobile SIM card by myself into a new Treo, or is it more complicated than that?

4.) On the 650, does the MP3 player really play through the stereo headphones?

TIA

How come the unlocked 680 version is about 400 USD (about 320€) and on expansys 475€ for europeans

That means 50% more to pay for Europeans, are we such suckers ???

with such a price let's buy the 650 and paint it the color we like at 500€ and forget the 680 !!!

Here's a question for you. I just picked up a new 650 last weekend because I was sick of waiting for the 680. Now, of coarse, they release it a week later.

The young lady who sold me the phone said they have a 30 day return policy if I'm not satisfied with the phone. I love the phone but really wanted the 680. Is it worth going back in and getting the 680?

I think the 650 is an awesome phone, I just wish it was smaller. I'm used to carrying around a RZR. Any and all replys are appreciated.

Brian,

It's Murphys law. You should have waited. I hate settling for less than I want.

Been calling around the sacramento area... no treo 680 (well until monday as i was told). Anyone in calfornia, get one yet?

I definitely recommend upgrading to the 680 from the 650. Yes, it is an upgrade.

Here are the pros:
1. Better call quality
2. Better speakerphone quality
3. Faster EDGE speed (twice faster!)
4. Three times more memory (22mb vs. 66mb)
5. Better form design (thinner, lighter, antena-less)

I, too, thought it wouldn't be much of an upgrade, if at all. But I am pleasantly surprised.

I ve been playing with 750v for almost three weeks now. I feel my 650 as an inferior compare to this 750v

I love the multitasking, rubbery finish, bluetooth dial up networking.

My friend who is a regular user of windows mobile feels 750v is a complicated device. So I guess palm has done a good modification on WM5 to make it more like a palm than a regular WM5 device

I'll be in New Orleans next march for the ACC meeting for 3 days.(I'm from Argentina). Were can I buy the 680 there ?

Alberto-
You probably won't be able to find an unlocked 680 anywhere in the city. If you want to pick one up from Cingular to get unlocked, there are Cingular stores all over the city.Assuming you are going to be in the downtown/convention center area, there are 2 separate Cingular stores in that immediate neighborhood.

Here is something strange: the Palm GPS navigator 2 bundle is not listed as being for the 680. I called palm and they said that they have not tested it with the 680.

I cannot understand why it would not work with the 680. Bluetooth is bluetooth. Palm OS is Palm OS. what could not work?

Alberto-
As a Latin American tat usually waits the whole year to buy his gadgets when I travel on business to the US here's my advice:
-Unless you're an American citizen or somehow you've landed a SSN (aka Social Security Number) you'll have a terrible time trying to land a contract/cell phone in the US.
-If you're planing on using it in Argentina, you'd probably need it unlocked anyway, so Cingular might be not the best option.
-If you're staying for a week or so, your best bet is Amazon, if I recall correctly they have it unlocked. If you can and know the address where you'll be staying beforehand just order 3-2 days before you head to the US and chances are your shiny new Treo would get to you on the second or third day of your visit (this is actually my plan to replaces my broken Treo 600 in the foreseeable future).

Alex-

Depending on where in the US you'll be visiting, why don't you just pick one up at a Palm store? They're suppose to have them in stock on December 1st.

Does anyone know if the docking ports are all the same from one version of the Treo to another? I just ordered my 680 online thru Palm today (OMG I'M SOOOOO EXCITED) and I didn't know if I needed a new cradle too. (I currently have the 600) I like the cradle for sync-ing cuz I'm spoiled. Thanks!

TrafficGeek - He's coming to New Orleans and there is no Palm store here.

Andrew, do you know if the Treo 700P has the same new phone interface that the Treo 680 has, or will there be a software upgrade to make the 700P's phone interface to look like the 680?

Wow, got the 680 yesterday. It is great. I just upgraded from the Palm TX and Moto MPX220 combination. Quite a nice upgrade. I've been reading a lot of the comments, and for what it's worth, here's my take...

Favorite feeatures:
- Call quality, excellent compared to my old Moto. The best I've had so far.
- Great display.
- Size is great, fits right in my pocket.
- Edge speed. I didn't know what to expect, but I think the edge speed is quite speedy. For handling mail and some quick surfing it's quite good. I guess 3G is faster yet, but since its availability is limited, the edge is totally fine.
- Speaker phone is quite loud, at least to me
- Camera, I don't know how, but the Treo's 0.3 mpixel VGA camera is much better than my Moto's 1.3 mpixel camera with flash. For me, this is a huge improvement. I love it. Perhaps it's because the lens is bigger on the treo that it captures more light?

Minor Gripes:
- I wish the treo came with the Notes application that is built into the palm handhelds. I like the ability to quickly scribble notes right on the screen.
- The keyboard is a little cramped, but it is much better than using grafitti. My favorite PDA keyboards are still the Q's, blackjack's, and Nokia's. Although, the Treo keyboard is one of the best out there.
- It's a little slippery including the center action key. Too bad it doesn't have the rubber finish like the 750.

For $199, it's awesome! Although I didn't find the way around the expensive data plan ($40), I'm still happy...

JUST GOT THE NEW 680, AND AM ALREADY HAVING A PROBLEM. THE PHONE BUTTON BRINGS UP THE CALENDAR SCREEN, AND EVEN WHEN I TRY TO RE-ASSIGN IT, IT DOES NOT ALLOW ME. IT IS GRAYED OUT IN PREFRENCES. OTHWISE, THE PHONE IS GREAT, ANY IDEAS TO CORRECT THIS?

Joe (#37),
Start by hitting the key with the little arrow pointing up.

I've been having some problems with my 650....mostly with the Blazer and Versamail apps. Had to return and replace the phone three times without really resolving the issues. Still love the thing, mind you. But have ordered the 680 simply because the OS is an upgrade and I haven't seen that upgrade offered to us yet on Palm's site. Has anybody else seen it? I'm with T-Mobile so have to buy the darn thing unlocked...that's the sticky part. Would much prefer to wait on a 700p unlocked than have the 680 but Palm tells me they have no idea when they'll release one. Anybody have any thoughts?

And to the guy who bought the 650 within the last 30 days: Return in. And get the 680. That's within the contract, as you describe things. With any luck, that agent can get you the 680.

Has anyone tried the confrence call feature? It won't work on my 650 or 680. I can have one call on hold and swap back and forth, but cannot combine them. I was thinking about calling Cingular. Maybe it is something with my plan...

Novii Remote doesn't work. It gives you a pop up stating your IR isn't supported. Bummer.

A2DP doesn't work natively. Even Softick's program won't work. I cannot get it paired properly.

I guess that is the bleeding edge for you. I am waiting for patches so two of my favorite programs can work.

i havent been able to use the confrence calling with my treo 650 either- i think you need to have it activated with cingular maybe? i cant remember if it worked with my other cingular phones or not-i know with at&t i had to activate it tho.

(#20) Bearmaiden - Since you're on T-Mobile I would personally buy an Unlocked Treo 680 for $399. It's slightly more expensive than an Unlocked Treo 650 (currently available for $299.95) http://shop.treonauts.com/content/smartphones/index.htm but the $100 difference is worth it.

(#30) Harry - [Correction] For some odd reason TomTom 5 will work fine with the Treo 680 http://shop.treonauts.com/content/accessories/10-41--379.htm but the SD card included in the Palm GPS Navigator 2 (with TomTom 6) will not work. I still need to test to see if TomTom 6 will work when installed from the CD though..

(#33) DaHonay - the docking ports are the same on all Treo smartphones from the Treo 650 upwards (ie: 680, 700 and 750 but NOT 600)

(#35) Blake - the new Phone application is not currently available on the Treo 700p and Palm have not yet made any public comments about whether they may do this in the future.

(#36) Tommy - thank you very much for your comment and list of favourite features. It's particularly helpful to read a fresh take on the Treo 680 by a newly minted Treonaut.

(#39) Dianna - Palm will not release a Treo 700p Unlocked since it currently only works with CDMA networks and there are no plans to release a GSM Treo 700p to work with Cingular or T-Mobile.

(#40) Rob - the new Conference call feature is not immediately intuitive to use (I will review it fully in the coming days). You need to 1) place your existing call on 'hold'; 2) a new button to "Add Call" will appear - press it; 3) the Phone app will open - choose between the Dial Pad or Contacts to dial your second call; 4) a Conf button will now be available to start the conference. The great thing about being on a GSM network with the Treo 680 is that you can also 'extract' one of the two parties in your conference call. Also, I am sure that both Novii Remote and Softick will soon have updates to work with the Treo 680.

(#41) David - please try pressing the 'Hold' button on the screen during a call. You should then have an 'Add Call' button - press it to add another call then conference both.

Cheers, A.

Andrew,

Finally got the Treo 680 on Friday and love it! (I had dropped my trusty 650 a month ago and the screen was completely shattered inside and full of black blotches -could only see a few words on the screen which was agonizing). So I was able to buy one first thing Friday morning at my local Cingular store in Framingham, MA (the store had received 6 and had already sold one when I called).

My question is regarding the battery - is seems to run low very quickly. I was home the last few days and only used the Treo to make a few quick phone calls and send some text messages (one with a voice memo attached - love that new feature). Do you think there is something wrong with the battery or does it need to be charged daily even with minimal use? My 650 used to last a few days. Thanks.

Elise - congratulations on your Treo 680 purchase!

Yes, it is a fact that the battery performance on the Treo 680 is somewhat lower than on either the Treo 650 or 700p (particularly if you've been used to the performance of an Extended Battery http://shop.treonauts.com/content/accessories/8-37--580.htm ) and I would indeed recommend that you recharge your Treo 680 nightly and also purchase a spare battery when it becomes available in about 10 days.

I will address this in more detail in both my Treo 680 Hardware Review and Treo 680 Accessories Review this week.

Cheers, A.

Hi -
I have an 'original 600 that I've been happily using. I wonder if the 680 is enough of an improvement (speed of email, browsing) to warrant the expense - I'm with T-Mobile and would need the unlocked version + accessories (car charger, extra charging cables, etc.). Would my current Piel Frama case work with the 680?

Will be grateful for any advice.

emack - the difference between the Treo 600 and Treo 680 will be like night and day... I simply don't think that there is any point of comparison. Unfortunately, the Treo 600 is the only Treo that does not share the current standard connector and you will therefore need to purchase new accessories for the Treo 680.

Cheers, A.

questions:

Bluetooth DUN?
Voice dial?
Video? Create? Play?
wifi card work?

magiclink:

Bluetooth DUN: Yes it's enabled
Voice dial: Not available
Video: Yes, I highly recommend TCPMP (free) or CorePlayer
wifi card: No, the Treo 680 does not support WiFi - this is still the most contentious issue with all Treo smartphones even though I personally don't find it that important...

Cheers, A.

i stopped by one of my local stores in orlando & all they had was a dummy! they thought it was a 750 too! lol! told me it would not be available until january 07!! so i promptly sent them to treonauts & palm to give them some schooling...duh!

one thing no one has mentioned is the fact of cingular selling the 680 for $199 w/a 2 year contract it's actually $299 up front w/a mail in rebate...if you look at the fine print in the rebate form you'll see that after you complete the forms & mail it in, 10-12 weeks later you get a cingular visa card w/ lots of restrictions! + they are only shipping one color - graphite - black is not yet, available as previously predicted.

also it's odd that you can get the same deal @ palm w/a contract, but it's $449 if you keep your existing plan!! lmao! why would you pay more for a locked/branded phone!!

i'll be buying the $399 unbranded version & get free next day shipping + all those extra goodies!

For Tommy post #36 that was disappointed there is no built in "Notes" application. Here's a free notes app called "Diddlebug" that I really like. Its also very customizeable and FREE

http://diddlebug.sourceforge.net/

Also how fast is the 680 "Edge" compared to 700p "EVDO". That was the main reason I upgraded from 650. I've been very happy w/ that upgrade as well as all of the other upgrades w/the 700p. The next reason I'll upgrade is for form-factor, but I'm not willing to "compromise" so it looks like I'll be waiting for 750p...or whatever it will be called?

Question:

I really like the Treo 680 but I had a Treo 650 and sold it because sound quality was very poor! I couldn't hear callers when outdoors - has anyone else had poor sound quality?

Thank you.

Andrew - thanks on your reply to my battery question. I do think there might be something wrong with the battery - the specs on the Palm site state talk time 4 hours and standby time 300 hours. I have used my 680 for the last few days but haven't made a lot of phone calls, have checked email hourly, written some emails and text messages every day and of course using the calendar feature. By mid-day the battery is more than half empty! I've had to use the car charger on the ride home to make phone calls. When fulled charged in the evening and turned off during the night, the next morning when I turn the phone on the battery has already lost 1/4 of the power. I will call the Cingular store tonight and possibly Palm and see what their thoughts are. Maybe the store will give me a new battery to try? Has anyone else encountered this problem? But I do love the 680 in spite of this problem.

Battery update - just called my local Cingular store to find out about the battery issue - the sales rep told me they were getting new batteries in on Friday and to stop by and she'd swap my battery for a new one. She didn't think the battery should run out that fast. Let's see if that fixes the problem until I can buy an extended batttery.

I'm a first time treo user. I'm very happy with the purchse i made. I used to have a sidekick 3, but decided to sell it on ebay when i heared that they were going to release the treo 680. I havent yet received the phone but from what people say its a really cool modern phone that will sure please the first treo users.

re: post 49
Yes, the Visa Rebate card seems horrible for consumers. I am trying to buy three 680's for staff at my work. How can my company get the $300 in rebates? Do I have to spend the 6x $50 reward cards and pay my company the $300?? If you buy directly from Palm, they take $50 off the price and send you only one $50 reward card. Half the hassle. Anyone know a way around this??

NO WI-FI DONT BUY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Palm Is FULL OF IT!

THEY LIE ALLOT

YOU CANT TRUST THEM!!

The Treo 600 and 650 owners are still waitting for
WI-FI!!! take my advice and buy something with similar fetures, more memory and Wi-Fi. id give up a camera for Wi-fi any day! and besides rather than getting the 680 id buy a used 650 because no matter how much they try to convince you the 680's better a hacked 650 performs just as Good if not better since you can get WI-fi for it via hack or Enfora brick opps i ment Enfora sled, you can install a 4GB SD card via a hack & blazer 4.5 and the cammera only looks bad on some 650's. Don't Buy IT!!!!

come to think of it i may just put my own page to tell all of you how to step by step make your treo 650 kick the crap out of the 680 just to piss palm off about the Wi-fi issue.

hold the press look what i just found! another Palm Lie! http://msmobiles.com/news.php/5684.html

I got my treo 680, it is my first time use Treo phone, i download a new song from my company to treo, but i don't know how to set it as a ring tone, can anyone tell me this? thanks so much or u can email to me at racheljhj@hotmail.com thanks so much

I found a real fix for my Treo 680 battery life problem.

My new 680 had the same disappointing battery life mentioned by others, but it's fixed now. My probelm led me to the web where I saw someone state that the problem is not a battery problem. The problem is a battery meter calibration problem. If you've noticed, your phone will work for a long, long time on little or no battery life showing. Don't believe the meter. To fix your Treo you need to recalibrate your battery meter and it's very easy.

Simply plug your phone into a wall charger while AND THEN do a soft reset by taking the battery out. Leave it out for a bit and then put it back in. Let the phone reboot. This soft reset WHILE PLUGGED INTO THE WALL, will reset the battery calibration. I did that yesterday, charged the phone all night, took it off the charger and have used it fairly hard today for 12 hours I'm still over 50%.

I did turn Beaming off yesterday too, but that's it. My Treo now shows great battery life, similar to what my 650 would show over this same timeframe. I ordered a larger battery and if this keeps up I'll return it when I get it. It's such a relief and feels like an absolute miracle....try it!!!!! :-)

I tried doing the procedure just as described, but doesn't seem to :( I unplugged the battery after about 6 hours but showed 96%, I can never get to the 100 %!!!. Not sure if i'm doing something wrong... I did just as described... regards!

UPGRADED TO TREO 680 FROM 650 (on Cingular)

Terrific, in a word.

Hated the sound quality of Treo 650. Ring volume was too low. Sound was too low (at max setting) on telephone and with speakerphone. Listeners complained I sounded like I was in a tunnel; could hear street sounds clearly but not my voice. All these problems solved with the 680.

Others have commented on how to fix the battery life. Worked for me. I still have 20-30% left after a full day's hard use.

Love the additional memory, new placement of memory card. Much faster downloads with EDGE than with GPRS.

And now for the best part. The upgrade was FREE. Complained to Cingular about poor voice quality of 650 while still in one year warranty period and they provided a new 680 for free!

Forgot to mention in my previous post that you can request Cingular to provide the unlock code to make your Treo unlocked.

Told them I travel abroad for extended periods (I do) and would like ability to use locally purchased SIM card with a local number. They have promised me one by email. Had provided this earlier for my previous Treo 650 also. Once you have it, you have an unlocked Treo.

Anybody know what the secret is to logging off the web on the 680? The drop down menue choice of "disconnect" is no longer an option.

preferences>>network>>disconnect

just spent an hour on customer service with ATT, and they say I'l have to call the Palm CS to find out why my 680 doesn't show an APN field. I'm a new user, but when the rep talked me through the windows and he said "don't you see it there?" and I didn't, that was the end of that. ANyone in treoland ever heard of that before? Is it perhaps a software update? I can't get to the web and yes, I have a media package ...