Palm & Cingular Launch Treo 750
As expected, it’s official and news of it all over Planet Treonauts, the thinner, sleeker and lighter five-band 3G Windows Mobile Treo 750 has finally arrived to US shores with Cingular as its first carrier.
General Features
While the recently launched Treo 680 is targeted at a general consumer audience the Treo 750 has been specifically designed with the business customer in mind with:
- Email: Out-of-the-box email solutions with Cingular Xpress Mail and push email with Direct Push technology and Good Mobile Messaging
- Compatibility: Windows Mobile meets IT requirements and provides broad set of solutions
- Business Applications: Cingular, Palm and partners offer a suite of applications to deploy FFA, SFA, CRM, VPN/security with access at faster speeds
- World phone on global network: Tap into international 3G networks in 61 countries
Additionally, Cingular’s BroadbandConnect service allows the Treo 750 to benefit from:
- Simultaneous voice and data with 3G/UMTS available in more than 160 U.S. markets and internationally in 61 countries
- Faster web browsing, rapid email and attachment downloading, quick access to corporate databases and business applications
- View streaming video, send large files, or download music on the spot
- Quickly navigate web pages using Internet Explorer Mobile on the large, color touch screen
Software Features
Furthermore, as with the Treo 700w|wx Palm has brought some truly unique enhancements to the Windows Mobile 5 platform including:
- New messaging application adds threaded chat and single inbox for messaging!
- Today Screen enhancements, such as “dial by name,” web search, one-touch dialing with photo speed dials, and call management
- Stay on top of voicemail with on-screen, VCR-like icons, such as rewind, delete and fast-forward controls for easy navigation
- Ignore a call and quickly compose a text message -- such as “In a meeting” or “Can’t talk right now” -- by selecting the “Ignore with text” option
- Add unique ringtones, photos, or videos to your contacts so you know instantly who’s calling
Hardware Features
Separately, the new compact design of the Treo 750 features an internal antenna, soft-touch finish, and contoured edges to make it comfortable in the hand. Like all Treo smartphones, the 750 also has a full QWERTY keyboard for easy messaging, a 1.3-megapixel camera, a bright 240x240 touch screen and support for Bluetooth stereo headsets. The built-in 60MB of user-available storage can be enhanced by using the miniSD slot to add memory cards of up to 2GB – great for storing data, photos, music and video.
Business Productivity Features
With Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Phone Edition, users get a desktoplike experience on their Treo 750, including access to mobile versions of Windows Media Player 10, Internet Explorer, and Outlook applications in addition to the ability to view and edit Microsoft Word and Excel files and view PowerPoint and PDF files. The Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP) is available out of the box with the Treo 750 and includes Direct Push Technology, which gives users connected to a Microsoft Exchange Server fast, automatic wireless updates of their email, calendar items, contacts and tasks. It provides added security features for IT administrators, such as over-the-air password policy enforcement and remote wipe for lost or stolen devices. MSFP also gives users over-the-air lookup of a company’s Global Address List (GAL), providing employees with quick access to colleagues’ email and contact information. The Treo 750 offers mobile professionals other corporate email options, including streamlined access to Microsoft Exchange or Domino/Notes using Good Mobile Messaging or personal email with Cingular Xpress Mail.
Cingular’s UMTS-based technology natively supports simultaneous voice and data, allowing users to download email or browse the web while making a phone call or checking voicemail. Cingular’s 3G service is available currently in more than 160 major metropolitan areas. Outside of Cingular’s 3G coverage area, users can seamlessly connect with Cingular’s nationwide EDGE wireless data network.
The Palm Treo 750 initially will be enabled for UMTS with a free upgrade, scheduled to be available later in 2007, to Cingular’s supercharged HSDPA technology. UMTS/HSDPA is a global standard and natural 3G evolutionary path for GSM providers with 142 UMTS networks in 61 countries currently available.
For the frequent business traveler, Cingular also offers the TeleNav GPS Navigator solution (sold separately) so users of the Treo 750 can get turn-by-turn voice and on-screen GPS directions directly on their device for use when driving or walking.
Customer Service Features: Palm Setup Help Desk
A new program to support the launch of the Treo 680 and Treo 750 with:
- Free end-user setup support within 90 days of purchase
- Get customers up and running quickly to help avoid returns
- Customers are alerted to this service with in-box materials: the Getting Started Guide and the Welcome Sticker
Pricing and Availability
The Treo 750 will be available Jan. 8 for consumers and businesses at Cingular Wireless retail stores, its website and through Cingular’s B2B sales organization. It will be available for $399.99 with a two-year contract and mail-in rebate. A variety of monthly data plans will be available, including unlimited plans starting as low as $39.99/month.
Preview
I will naturally take the time to review this latest addition to the Treo family more closely this week but all I can say for now is that the Treo 750 is probably the first Windows Mobile smartphone that has even remotely come close to make me consider switching from my still preferred PalmOS – not a small thing.
Treonauts are always looking for something new… 
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Comments
Wow... Looks like Palm has a whole new world of hurt now that the iPhone was introduced. And I just received my new 700P last week!
I agree with Bill (wow!)... the new iPhone from Apple looks AWESOME!!! I have a Treo 700P that I will most likely shed now when the iPhone comes out this summer. It has everything that Palm has dangled in front of us for years and has failed to deliver. Talk about slow! Wallstreet agrees as well. Palm stock took a hit today with the announcement from Apple. I love my Treo 700P now, but I'll love my iPhone even more come this summer. Treo 750? No way!
I agree. The iPhone will probably replace my 680 as soon as it is released!
I've talked about deal breakers in previous messages, but with the iPhone, there is a new one.
Keep in mind, I'm a "Mac person" in many ways. I'm typing this on my Mac Pro as I watch a stream of today's keynote. I had a 5GB iPod the day it was released. The chances of me getting an iPhone as currently described is slim. Why? Time for another numbered list:
1) No ActiveSync. This is the single biggest problem for me. While I may be a Mac person at home, I live in a Windows world at work. Because of this, I rely heavily on the ability to sync with our Exchange Server over the air.
2) EDGE-only. This surprised me the most. No UMTS/HSDPA? This is a beautiful, fast device. Why cripple it with such a slow WAN link?
3) On-screen keyboard. Okay, I'll reserve judgement until I can hold one in my own hand because it looks like Apple's approach to the touch-screen may be an improvement, but I think I may be disappointed by the lack of a physical QWERTY keypad.
Cloudscout... I'm with you again on your comments. I can't imagine the iphone onscreen keyboard doing the trick for me, but we'll see. No UMTS/HSDPA on a $600 discounted phone does seem unforgivable.
On the original topic (kinda) Couple of interesting items I stumbled across in my quest for my next phone.
1. A WinMo app called iLauncher (funny enough) that would provide not only App shortcuts and tabs to the Today screen, but also speed dial shortcuts. Kinda gives 750 and 650 functionality (and more) to non-750s
http://www.sbsh.net/products/ilauncher/
2. Some guy created a google search bar called SearchToday for the Today screen. Also a 750ish add-in.
http://www.cs.pitt.edu/~jmisurda/ppc/blog/index.php?entry=entry051211-125524
As for the 8525, no 2.5mm jack is a deal breaker for me (I think)... I still fall back to wired headsets in certain situtations. So, if I could just find a 750 in stock around me, I think I'd pull the trigger.
By the way, if anyone plays with a tester in a cingular store and it seems painfully slow, go into settings... memory and kill all running apps (especially the flash demo which brings the poor little guy to its knees!!)
Duncan
Hi Andrew,
Do you foresee any deals on the 750 pricewise as we see on the 680 on your site and others? It would be great to save a few hundred dollars...
David
Does anyone know if Sprint will offer the 750 in some point in the not too distant future. I have a super deal with Sprint so I don't want to switch to another service just to get the phone.
The differences between the 750 and the 700wx are so minor that I wouldn't expect Palm to bother developing a CDMA version for Sprint.
Ok, I do not currently own a Treo. But I have been interested in treos since the 600. I have thought seriously about getting this, but i have a question...
What are all of the connection types? edge,g3...etc.
thanks for the help
ok...i finally got my hands on the 750 after months of drooling...and, I'm not all that excited about it.
Yeah, it feels cool in the hand. But in looking at the browser speed...I expected it to be significantly faster than my treo 650 or the 680. So while the 650 may take 15 seconds to load up...the 750 does it in 8-10 seconds. 50% faster I guess, but functionally not significantly.
I received an offer by Cingular in December to buy the 680 for $75...so that's sort of coloring my judgement.
I run a small consulting firm and there are times when I need to open up an excel, word, or powerpoint file...just can't do it with my 650. I could now do that with the 680.
Memory is a killer with my 650...i'm constantly throwing stuff away just to be able to use certain applications...The 680 comes with the same memory as the 750.
I find browsing to be tough on the 650...but the 680 is the same speed. The 750 is a tad faster, but just a tad.
So I went out and bought the 750...and paid $400. Now the opportunity cost of the 750 is weighed against the cost of being able to get the 680 for $75. If I had to get the 680 and pay $229...then to me, it's a no brainer and you get the 750. Because for $170, it's worth the faster speed...but now, if the opportunity cost is $324...well, then it becomes a dicier proposition.
One scenario i have is to get the 680 for $75 and then buy the iphone when it comes out in June...but still not sure about how the iphone will handle attachments, especially office applications.
So...what to do what to do.
i'm gonna ask this one more time. does anyone know if they are going to sell an unlocked version of the treo 750? or would i need to buy an unlocking code service or something?
New owners of the Treo 750. How well is the battery life with this phone? Pro & Con
I just received my Treo 750 from Cingular. I've been using a 650 for the past 2 years. The battery life on the 750 definitely leaves much to be desired and I'll be seeing if the conditioning helps over the next few days. So far, as for initial impressions, I'm quite impressed with the hardware, but not overly impressed with the software (thus far). When trying to access my web page, Mobile IE doesn't interpret it correctly (Blazer did fine). I'll post more when I get it tethered to my laptop and see what type of 3G performance I get.
Do you think Palm will come out with a version of the 680 for Verizon?
I was really concerned about the smaller battery in the 750. After all I was used to a high capacity battery bought for my 650. So perhaps because of low expectations, I am really pleasantly surprised! Maybe the newness of the battery helps vs. my year-old 650 batt, but I go bluetooth all day long and no red warnings yet.
I faithfully charge it all night and I am thrilled. I thought I would kill it in a matter of hours...
I bought a 750 the first day they were announce at CES from a corporate store in The Woodlands, TX (North side of Houston). So far I love the phone with a couple of issues. The battery life isn't great, particularly if you access a corporate server like I do. We use the latest 2003 version that allows push e-mail which I like but the battery life really suffers. Make sure you have a desk charger and a car charger and keep it attached routinely and it isn't too bad. I have had to "re-boot" the phone several times since I purchased it. Everyone seems to talk about this as an issue and it is. Fortunately it doesn't happen a lot and it reboots pretty quickly. Still, it is a pain in the butt.
Musubiman et al.,
I have a small consulting firm as well and I DO have the ability to pull up Office documents on my Treo 650. I use an app a client recommended to me called "Documents to Go." The screen size is tiny of course so hope you don't have aging eyes :-) but it does work for that.
I'm a treo 680 owner and I love it. Now, I'd like som input from far more experienced Treonauts. I'm getting "into" this now.
1) My provider is Cingular, I'm traveling to France, can I purchase a SIM card and use my treo? Does anyone have a budget-efficient recommendation for int'l communication?
2) How would you compare the 750 over the 680? I had been a windows user for the longest time and the Treo 680 made me get into the Palm world again. Is the 750 enough to get me back to the windows-based? I read the camera has higher res?
Please shed some light!
I have a problem with my palm treo 750 I bought from cingular. I sold it and the person has t-mobile. She accidentally put in the wrong unlock code before I could give her the right one. She did this 5 times and the phone messages now that she has tried 5 times and its in timout. Does anyone know how to fix this without sending the phone back?? I talked to palm and they had me do a hard reset and the message came back up. Can someone help a girl out?? thanks gillia
If anyone has suggestions for the above comments from gillia. Please email me @[email protected] THANKS
I have a problem, I had my palm treo 750 for a while, and all of a sudden, my touchscreen wont respond. I tried to used the align screen, but that didnt respond either.. Is there a way i can fix it without sending it baq..
I need a users manual for the palm treo 750. how can I get one . or can I download one .?
Thank you Joe T.
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