Palm Centro on T-Mobile?
For years we’ve all been wondering why T-Mobile has been one of the only large US carriers not to have added a Palm smartphone to its portfolio.
We still don’t have the definitive answer but according to a telecom analyst from Avian Securities at least there appears to be hope that T-Mobile will finally come around to supporting one – specifically the Palm Centro.
Following discussions with operator sources the rumour is now that T-Mobile will debut its Centro shortly after AT&T’s own release in the coming weeks – a terrific development that highlights increased support for Palm at a time when its stock has suffered a severe beating losing over 60% of its value in the past three months.
All of this appears to be taking place as a direct result of surging interest in smartphones generated by the iPhone as well as the huge success that the Centro has had with Sprint – something which has prompted rival carriers to take serious notice and generated firm commitment to support it in 2008.
T-Mobile in particular may have been specifically attracted by the strong positioning of the Centro in the youth market – an area that the carrier has always been very specific in targeting. At only $99 with a contract the Centro has clearly attracted a large audience that has been exposed to the iPhone marketing machine but unable or unwilling to buy one. Because the Centro delivers everything that the iPhone can do and so much more but at only a fraction of the price it has proven a perfect alternative for many newly minted Centronauts.
Considering that aside from the Centro no other new Palm OS smartphones are likely going to be released this year it’s clear that Palm must be relieved to see how successful its mini-Treo has become (the company should also benefit nicely from the launch of the Windows Mobile Treo 800w with built-in WiFi and GPS later this year). Clearly the company is doing something right and I hope that we will see the full benefits of the ongoing transition at Palm when completely revamped smartphones with a new operating system are released in 2009.
Palm Finally Getting Its Act Together [via Seeking Alpha]
Treonauts always do more… 
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Is this new T-Mobile Centro going to be GSM? Any idea of date?
T-Mobile uses GSM 580/1900, but does not support GSM 1800 in the US. As of not, no idea on when T-Mobile is going to debut the Centro to it's lineup.
T-Mobile uses GSM 850/1900, but does not support GSM 1800 in the US. As of not, no idea on when T-Mobile is going to debut the Centro to it's lineup.
Now vrizon needs to get the centro. With verizons luck we wont see the centro for years, since the 755p just came out.
Palm has lacked real innovation for many years now, which is why Apple iPhone is what I chose when it was time to get a smart-phone last summer...
How 'bout this black GSM Centro available now on a Dutch website? Let's hope it means it'll be available soon...
Don't the 270 and 600 count? I still have a couple of retired TMo 600s in my office. I wouldn't mind paying for an unlocked GSM Centro to replace my 650, but ain't gonna complain about a $99 one and reset my (long expired) contract.
It's true that T-Mobile had the Treo 180, 270 and 600 models. Apparently it was some combination of lack of sales and/or desire to consolidate OSes that led them to drop the Treo after that. (I was surprised that they never picked up the 750, though.) Good to see them getting on board again now.
T-MOBILE WILL NOT CARRY PALM PRODUCTS ANYMORE
(warning: my spelling is awful, I apoligize, I am dutch...english is not my language)having said that;
lets get a few things straight here: on the dutch websites they only sell windows operated centro's, they are actually not called centro's, but "treo 500".
the second model is called a treo 500v, the v stands for vodafone where that model will be locked into.
T-MOBILE US will NOT carry any palm devices as they have an exclusivity contract with HTC. they are not allowed to make any deals with other smartphone companies. this was told to me by an official t-mobile corporate store representative in los angeles last week. I asked him : "then what about the blackberry? isn't that competition for HTC then?" his answer was: "those are not smartphones, those are email-devices".
so if we go by this official t-mobile store information, we will have to focus on and unlock that at&t phone fast in order to replace our good old unlocked treo 680's, 650's (and some die hard 600's:-) please correct me (or better said correct this sales rep) if you have more current information.
Please, could you guys at T-Mobile and HTC work some deal/exception beneficial for both sides and for us? :)
If you do, I (and many others, I am sure) will get two years contract! There must be a way to resolve it, please!
> T-MOBILE US will NOT carry any palm devices as they
> have an exclusivity contract with HTC. they are not
> allowed to make any deals with other smartphone
> companies. this was told to me by an official t-
> mobile corporate store representative in los
> angeles last week.
I hope the Dutch guy is wrong, I am moving in May so I'll switch to T-mobile then (might as well get a new phone number in the process and I want the hotspot@home service.
The problem is I've used PALM since 1996 and don't really feel like paying $250 for a blackberry when I'm more than happy with my last $199 palm (of course $99 is even better), and all I care about is scheduling, note pad, and of course software.
Weight Watchers menu's, video players, scrabble, try doing that on a black berry!
i just want to know wen exactly the palm centro is coming to tmobile
The dutch guy is simply ridiculous. A sales person in a store has no real information about corporate contracts, is not in the higher management loop and would not have any idea what the CEO/management are thinking of doing...a Blackberry is certainly a Smart Phone.
Does anyone know the exact date that T-mobile will get the palm centro bcuz im a T-mobile customer and I dont want my annoying razr and i want to upgrade to a phone that I will actually like !!
I am also anxiously awaiting a Treo smartphone with Windows Mobile from T-Mobile. I have an office in a building constructed of cement blocks, which acts as a shild to RF signals, and thus need a smart phone with a good antenna, such as Palm Treo. I previously had a Pocket PC, which I loved, but it was made by HTC, and could not even get a signal inside that building.
T-Mobile never offered the Treo 750W, although some unlocked AT&T models come available from time to time. I hope that the Centro becomes available from T-Mobile, and has Windows Mobile.
Couldnt we just put our SIM cards (for people withT-mobile) into the Palm Centro?
Yep, I have a centro from AT&T unlocked phone and changed SIM cards.
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