Palm News: Treo "Ultra" Thin WiMAX, Sprint Treo 755p, AT&T Treo 680 Crimson & More...
Over the last couple of weeks I have been innundated with a ton of news and rumours relating to the latest Palm developments and our Treo and I thought that putting them all in one single post would give you a better perspective on the many extremely interesting things happening on Planet Treonauts these days and what the coming year holds in store for us...
Treo “Ultra” Thin WiMAX
An anonymous source tells Engadget that Palm is readying an ultra-thin Treo around October of this year to work with Sprint’s soon-to-be-launched WiMAX network. Although there is no basis for trusting this tipster it is nonetheless fairly obvious that Palm’s product design efforts will continue to push the Treo to be slimmer in each new generation so here below is a mockup of what such a super thin Treo “Ultra” might look like…
Palm to serve up "ultra thin" WiMAX smartphone this year? [Engadget]
Palm Hires Former Top Apple Computer Engineer
In a move widely reported to be a direct response to Apple’s iPhone and iPhone accessories “threat” (see iPhone Wake-Up Call), Palm last week hired top Silicon Valley software designer Paul Mercer who helped create the tools used by Apple to develop the first iPod user interface. Palm will only say that Mercer began work some three weeks ago on a mysterious “line of new products” currently under development… Perhaps the Treo “Ultra” above?
Palm Responds to the iPhone [New York Times]
Jeff Hawkins Interview
PalmAddicts has a conversation with Palm founder Jeff Hawkins where he discusses the paradigm-shifting new technology and operating system (which could run on a Treo?) that has been under development for a number of years at his other company Numenta.
Additionally, Hawkins talks about Palm and his participation in the “secret projects” – particularly the much rumoured “3rd arm of the Palm business” which is anticipated to bring a completely new generation of device to market and that he confirms “will be launching this year”… He further more than openly hints that the announcement of this new product line will take place at Walt Mossberg’s “D” conference in May…
Finally, discussing some of the (unfounded) merger/takeover rumours that were circulating (see Palm & Treo: Everyone Wants A Slice) Jeff states that:
“Palm, in my mind, is in the best shape it’s been in, in a long, long time. Although there are lots of competitors, Palm is a very healthy company. We’ve been profitable for many consecutive quarters, years really; and, we’re making lots of money; and, we finally feel like we have control of our destiny back in our hands again.
Now, it takes a little bit of time to turn that into products. It takes 2 years to design new products, and so you don’t see this control reflected immediately in the product line. In my view, this is a good time at Palm. In terms of viability, we have lots of cash, we’re profitable, and we’re in control of our own destiny. We haven’t been in this kind of shape in a long, long time.
You know, I wouldn’t continue working at Palm unless I felt there was a real opportunity to improve upon the state of personal computing. I think personal computing is important, and can we make better computing products. I feel great about Palm. The smartphone is starting to take off. I’ve been predicting this for the past 6 years… and, now it’s happening. Smartphone adoption is going to keep growing rapidly for some number of years, and we’ve got some clever and cool plans that you’ll see unfold over the next year. I’m not worried about the company, and Palm’s fans shouldn’t worry about it either.”
Jeff Hawkins talks to Palm Addict
Sprint Treo 755p (Sherlock)
A leak of Sprint’s product launch roadmap for the first half of this year reveals a mysterious “Palm Sherlock” device to be released in June.
Later rumours point to a CDMA PalmOS powered Treo 755p (based on Treo 680/750 form-factor?) with EvDO support which could be launched as early as May 14.
If Sprint does indeed launch this Treo 755p it would be the first slim and antenna-less PalmOS smartphone to support 3G broadband connectivity…
Sprint May Be Prepping Treo 755p [Brighthand]
AT&T/Cingular Launches Crimson (Red) Palm Treo 680
Following my post a couple of weeks ago (see Treo 680 Colours For Cingular Now Available) indicating that Palm had stopped selling coloured versions of its Unlocked Treo 680 because AT&T/Cingular had decided to begin selling the full coloured range under its own umbrella, the company yesterday finally announced that the AT&T branded version of the Crimson Treo 680 is available immediately and exclusively to its customers.
I now expect AT&T to also make the remaining two – Arctic (White) and Copper (Orange) – Treo 680 colours available in the coming weeks.
Roses Are Red -- So Are the Blackberry Pearl and Palm Treo 680 [PR Release]
Treonauts always get the most interesting developments… 
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Comments
FINALLY Sprint is starting to compete in the phone market. I hope this "rumor" is true and they do come out with the thinner 755. Cingular kicks the crap out of everybody with their selection of phones and it's time other cell phone providers notice it.
They keep making the Treo thinner and keep cutting the battery thickness, therefore the capacity. Unless they substantially cut the power usage (doubtful) then the battery needs to be wider.
My next phone purchase will be as easy as this: No WLAN, no Treo, no advanced OS, no Treo. There's not much hope they get it this time. I'm sick of buying nearly the same hard- and software in different cases for years and years.
I like my Treo 680. It's functional and does a fine job, but it's SO lacking when compared to something like the new iPhone from Apple. I got a chance to play with one recently and the only thing I was concerned about was the virtual keyboard. I ended up liking it more than the real keyboard on my Treo. As soon as the iPhone surfaces this summer, it's goodbye Treo. Nice knowing you.
LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE IS EITHER FIBBING ABOUT SELLING OFF PALM OR JUST STARTING RUMORS TO DRIVE UP THE PRICE OF THEIR STOCK...
GRRR.. get me all excited for no reason.
CDMA is NOT 3G. 3G phones are WCDMA&GSM based - they take sim cards, and more importantly work in Australi, Europe and the rest of the world.
This is a CDMA phone, that will never leave the US. Again. :(
John
I think maybe you don't understand John, but to me, WCDMA means this:
GSM providers around the world eventually got stuck with the terrible limitations of GSM technology and figured they would eventually need to use CDMA for data transfers... Because GSM itself is way too limited (hell, CDMA 1X released years before EDGE and was almost as fast as 1st generation EDGE about 2 years ago hahaha 163kbps VS 192kbps, it was funny)
CDMA is just a superior technology (initially designed for military purposes, with nearly unbreakable encryption and loads of network related features that aren't even being used yet). GSM providers around the world are being forced to switch to it, for anything that involves transferring data over a cellphone network. These GSM providers will also probably end up dropping GSM as soon as it becomes viable, and simply use VoIP over CDMA (WCDMA whatever you want to call it, the technology is based on the same kind of standards) for voice calls.
Now, the North American providers (and South Korea which has one of the most reliable cell network in the world), and tons of other countries why have been using CDMA from the beginning, are simply upgrading easily and seamlessly their own EXISTING network to 3G speed, without the ridiculously high investments that it takes to maintain TWO networks using different technologies, one for voice and one for data. Trust me, the North American GSM providers are suffering right now because of this unexpected direction the whole world is taking. While CDMA companies are laughing at it because it's so easy for them to upgrade.
For the few people like you who travel and have the money to afford a world-phone, on a short term basis, it is possible for them for make phones that are CDMA EV-DO and also GSM capable. If they don't do it for the Treo yes, it's simply because they feels it's not profitable enough for them (if it was, they'd do it). They're obviously not ready to give up the security that CDMA grants them (allowing people to unlock the GSM part of the device and use it illegally, just to please a few rich casual travels who are unwilling to use a different device when they travel.
So next time you feel like saying CDMA is not 3G, please understand the whole concept behind it... 3G means nothing more than 3rd generation... :)
EVDO Rev A, even available in CANADA, can attain speeds of 3.1Mbit DOWN and 1.9Mbit UP. Can we even pray that the GSM North American providers will have this kind of speed any time soon? To remain competitive on this side of Earth, they're being forced to switch to WCDMA, and it hurts them like hell... :(
Finally, CDMA is simply more adapted to landscapes here since the area to cover is large and the population per square kilometer is low in comparison.
Since GSM providers in North America just can't match CDMA companies in terms of available bandwidth, they invest more on cool-looking phone... Sure, they can get them easily because they've been already released in Europe before... They put 4GB+ of MP3 storage in them, they add WiFi, unlock BT features (even knowing they won't make any profit over those since they're not network related). In fact, it's the only thing they can really offer for now without ruining themselves... Sad for GSM, such a popular (yet doomed to disappear) technology... :)
Maybe I'm not entirely right, but I hope this helps some people understand what CDMA is really all about.
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